texastennis

OK. This is very helpful.

Thanks for responding.

No. The bed is a one piece affair and cannot be separated.

 

The sofa does convert to a sleeper bed.

Grr. That's what I thought, but OK!

Thanks for responding!

I am sailing with my daughter, and although I love her dearly, I am wondering if the bed can be separated into two twins like the beds in a balcony cabin? If not, will the sofa convert to a sleeper?

Thanks.

I am planning car service on Dial 7 and need to know what time I should have them pick me up from the Manhattan Cruise terminal to LGA.

I have a 4:00 p.m. flight, and do not plan to disembark early (want to have breakfast in the MDR first, avoid the lines and crowds and leave peacefully) :)

What time should I arrange to be picked up?

Thanks.

I keep reading great reviews about the thermal spa pass. We have never been on NCL and I'm wondering what makes it so popular...

 

 

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If you are not in the Haven, the Thermal Spa is the next best thing IMO! No kids, quiet, soft music (on the Jade and Jewel), tea, water, lounge chairs great for napping or reading (I nearly finished reading the third installment of Game of Thrones on the Jade), beautiful view of the sea, hot tubs that you can actually spend quiet time in...

...heavenly.

Question.... just how casual is NCL both around the ship in general and in the MDRs?

Extremely casual. Everyday wear -- athletic casual, capris, sundresses, sandals. I've noticed that women tend to be more concerned about their attire. Guys seem to have difficulty remembering to not wear baseball caps in the dining rooms sometimes.

Would like to see the dailies if anyone has them available. Sailing in May as well and it would be nice to see what is going on during sea days -- just to know :). I think that's sort of what you're asking for, too - am I correct, pussywillow?

I had a mini suite on the Jewel and deliberately chose forward cabin 11502 because is is located under the spa. That means there was no noise from above. I would not upgrade to a mini suite because it is not really a "suite." You get none of the suite perks -- only a bathtub.

mking8288:

Thanks. This is extremely helpful.

Vinegarjoe10:

I am going to be in 10614. First time aft. Usually I like forward cabins, but I saw pictures of the balconies of the forward penthouses and they didn't appeal to me much. I think I'll enjoy looking at the wake.

Thank you for the gratuity information, and the other bits of information. The more I learn the more excited I become!

Thank you very much for your suggestions. I will take your advice and book a car service. Also, my return flight is not until 4:00 p.m., so I should be OK.

I am trying to put together my transportation budget for an upcoming GEM cruise out of New York on May 27th. I would like to know if anyone can give me the estimated costs of a taxi or Uber from:

Laguardia to Financial District on May 26th

Financial District to Manhattan Terminal on May 27th

Manhattan Terminal to Laguardia on June 3

Thanks so much!

Everyone: You have given me some great tips, and now I'm excited beyond belief! I had no idea that there were so many food and delivery options available. It makes for a completely different cruise experience, doesn't it?

pcakes122: thank you for the reminder about the additional gratuities for the concierge and butler. What do you recommend as the baseline minimum gratuity for each (I will adjust upward accordingly)?

Thanks!

You do not have access to the [very small] Havens courtyard and you are not missing anything. You will be invited to all of the suites/Havens activities (minimum the officer's cocktail party, other events based on the ship's itinerary). You have access to the suites/havens restaurant for breakfast and lunch.

Thank you Bird Travels. I was just wondering, and it's really no big deal This is going to be my first time in a penthouse and I'm very excited! I'm traveling with my daughter (I usually cruise solo), and she has no idea that I upgraded so this is going to be a wonderful surprise!

Thanks, everyone for your responses. The plan is to arrive early, and based upon what you have said we should be fine.

Since you all seem to be the people in the know, may I ask two more questions? :)

I put in a bid for a Haven Penthouse Suite to have access to the Haven facilities. But now that I am in a penthouse, my bid was cancelled. Do you know why? Do penthouse suites have access to the Haven?

One of my cruise traditions is to have a quiet lunch in the main dining room upon embarkation on the first day. This time, however, my daughter and I are in a penthouse, and I have read (on a different thread somewhere) that penthouse guests will be taken to either Moderno or Cagney's for lunch. In that same thread I read that it was crowded and that particular person had to wait for a table. That sort of defeats the purpose of a quiet lunch on the first day.

My question is whether anyone has had a similar or different experience. Should I stick with my tradition and just go to the main dining room anyway?

We called the upsell number for our upcoming 3/19 sailing on the Gem last week. Upgraded from a minisuite to a 2br family suite (non-Haven) for $600pp. They had 2 of them and some front facing owners suites available when we called. As previous poster had mentioned we didn't get any additional perks (we kept the unlimited beverage package we had along with the OBC) but we do get to take advantage of all of the suite perks onboard. IM EXCITED![/quoteI

 

I'm excited for you! Quick question: would you suggest just calling the upsell number if you know you want to upgrade instead of going through the bidding process? I'm pretty convinced that I want to upgrade, but not so sure I want to wait to see if my bid has been accepted since I know that the cabins in the category I would like to have are currently available. I'd like to know well ahead of time where I'm going to be since I am a planner at heart.

I received the bidding e-mail yesterday for the Gem and I am at the 80 day (or so) mark. Just wondering: why would they offer me the Haven Penthouse as an up-sell option when the website clearly says that the category for this particular sailing date is sold out? This may have been answered previously somewhere in this thread, but I have not seen it. Any ideas why this may be, and would anyone recommend me bidding on this given the uncertainty?

Thanks.

Something you have to keep in mind when you decide to bid on an "upgrade" is the only perks you have are the ones you initially have prior to bidding. Bidding on the Haven especially you need to come up with a value on the drink package, dining package and any other perks you would have had and deduct that value from the original price of booking a Haven suite. People up bidding more then $1,000 per person needs to reconsider, yes the additional space is great to have when you are in the suite and is that worth the bidding process? The butler,etc., you will take care of by tipping so the real question is the increase size of suite, the pool and Haven dining worth the additional cost? Your comments?

You raise some very important issues to consider. When weighing my options, I'm thinking about fewer crowds, and a little more quiet and privacy. I already have the drink and dining package, and I will not lose those, so that is a plus. I do not feel as though I would be missing anything if I do not get the other perks that come with being in the Haven since I did not want them anyway. Oh, but to have a little more serenity :) Yes, it's well worth the cost if I can get it. Prayers up, and fingers crossed. It will be a wonderful birthday celebration, indeed!

1. Absolutely!!!

2. I will be happy to pay more to be on a smoke-free ship. However, I would have to be assured that the non-smoking policy would be strictly enforced. This is not currently done on ships where there is a non-smoking policy in place, and the smoking violations (people smoking on balconies) abound. It's really unfortunate. Should I have to pay more to enjoy fresh air? No. But it appears that we are now at the point where we have to pay more to have the environments we enjoy and expect. Gone are the days when people adhere to policies and rules. There are those who believe that If a policy is in place and they don't like it, then they feel they can bend it because it does not suit them. Should anyone call them on their rule-bending, then that person is "intolerant" and infringing on personal freedoms. We all have our "rights."

I'm sure what I've said will raise the ire of some (as the smoking conversation always does), but the fact remains: there are non-smoking areas and policies against smoking. There are those who chose to ignore those policies. There are staff and crew who are reluctant to enforce the policies, and people who choose to bite their tongue and hold their peace rather than risk a confrontation or unpleasant encounter with a defensive and unapologetic rule-bender and experience a spoiled vacation.

The result is absurdity: people like me willing to pay a little more for fresh air.

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OK. I hadn't seen this before with other cruises I've booked so I wasn't sure what was going on. Tomorrow is the official 90-day mark. We'll see what happens! Thanks for the responses.

Today I went to MyNCL to do a check on my account, and saw that the Thermal Suite pass on the Gem is active for purchase. I am 96 days out from being able to make reservations and purchases, so I was surprised to see this as a purchase option. But, when I tried to purchase the pass there is a message that says"

"Sorry, this item is no longer available for purchase."

Does that mean that they are already sold out, or that it is not available for me to purchase since I am not at the 90 day mark yet?

Give an idea of where you want to go and someone here will be able to point you in the right direction. NCL does not list repositions as such.

OK. I'll give it some thought.

Thanks, Mike.

I've been thinking about the cruise after the one I'm doing in May to be a repo, but I'm not sure where to start to find them. I would like to stay with Norwegian, so is the best way to find and book one through a TA?

All ships dock in Nassau. Here is a port cam for Nassau.

http://www.portnassauwebcam.com/

Thanks!