BaWBarmy

As most people don't pay for the Package only the gratuities on that package the extra cost that anyone will pay will be minimal at something like $2 per day. They may even put fares up by $10 per day too to compensate for the rise

The OP has a real downer on NCL and frequently posts negative comments or joins in negative conversations, he'll probably call me a flag waver or whatever it is that he calls people who quite like NCL. OK so you had a bad cruise, just go back to Royal or whoever. I would have been sorry about your bad cruise if you didn't keep wittering on about how poor NCL are, and so now I don't really give a crap. Love reading your stuff though. It makes me laugh.

Ooh it's a hard one.

The Bliss is a great ship and we liked her. I have recently sailed on the Escape and although similar, I prefer the Bliss, but do I prefer her over the Epic. Well I didn't mind the quirky bathroom layout and I also really liked some of the bars more, also the Spice H2O on the Epic is really good, better than on the Bliss but then there is the Observation Lounge. If I was forced to make a choice I'd probably go with the Epic.

We did choose to sail the Bliss purely because she was a new ship and we'd never done a TA before. We chose the Epic purely on the itinerary which was great. These factors also influence your choice. One thing I will say is not to read too much into reviews, even on here, especially on here. I've read reviews on both ships and can't believe that they are about the same ships we were on. The ships are all excellent in my opinion. It's what you make of them that counts.

So many things I disagree with on this post

Hi Rickster50,

 

As you know from your experience with HAL, MSC or Princess, the product quality differs from ship to ship like day and night.

Your cruising experience depends on the ship you choose. Cruise line vs cruise line comparison does not make sense.

 

Speaking of the NCL best ships (Getaway & Breakaway)...

 

Food

This is something you need to know and accept.

It's a norm to eat in MDR and occasionally visit specialty restaurants on HAL and Princess.

On NCL ships the norm is different: specialty restaurants is the main place for dining. You must have them booked (preferably in advance). Forget about MDR. Is it the norm to eat in Speciality Restaurants? Do you have figures? The MDR's are fine. Yes you do need to book Speciality because they have limited capacity you can just walk up to any MDR and be seated within a few minutes.

Depending on your choice, the food quality level may be close to MDR Gala menus on HAL / Princess, and surpass other days options.

This is how your dining must be set up if you want to have a real NCL experience. Exactly what is the real NCL experience?

The buffet isn't as good, but not bad at all.

All dining venues are either "any time" dining or by reservation (walk in is rarely possible in the most popular venues).

 

Nightlife

The main shows have the same schedule as on all cruise lines. The quality varies. For example, "Burn the Floor" show it a top quality performance that you have never seen on HAL or Princess.

Other entertainment options are wider, but you won't lose much if you skip them. The shows on NCL are excellent and skipping them would be a mistake. Book one, if its not for you then don't try another. The entertainment provided in bars and other venues is top notch most of the time.

90% of the passengers go to bed at the same time as on large HAL or Princess ships. There will be a very visible minority that like to drink and dance late (after midnight). How do you know this? Do you go round and check?

There is no formal nights (same as on HAL). Most people dress up for dinner (same as on HAL or Princess). No they don't. People may elect to dress a little better if they are dining at Speciality venues but otherwise the majority don't dress up for dinner, based on my observations.

Excursions

Same thing as on all cruise ships.

 

Unfortunately there is no observation lounge on the ship. There is on the Bliss

 

The worst

Insane crowded poolside parties that make the pool usable only for a limited time. You'll have to stick to that time if you want to use a pool.

 

The best

We like and cruise on these two ships for an excellent spa (although not as great as on HAL top ships), breathtaking water slides, very good food in specialty restaurants, acceptable openness to the sea (outside promenade, rather private forward sun deck), excellent shows.

 

Overall (based on the top ships):

HAL Nieuw Amsterdam 5*

Sapphire Princess 4*++

NCL Getaway 3.5* ++

MSC Preziosa 3.0*

 

Happy cruising! I'll agree with that

Are you EU/UK or US

They wouldn't get "Free at Sea" if they were EU/UK

I had a brilliant Bloody Mary from the Atrium Bar on the Bliss TA. It was one of the best Bloody Marys I've had. Next day same bar different bar tender, still good but not as good as the day before.

It's as much about the mixologist as it is about the booze.

No free at sea perks. You WILL get double points.

I don't think they will.

We were lucky enough to put in a successful upgrade bid on the Bliss TA. We went from an Inside to a Balcony, I know neither of these get double points, however, on checking my latitudes past cruise details on our return home the cruise showing was an Inside cabin as initially booked. The points are awarded on the original booking not on the upgrade even if it was to a Haven Suite

If you get on board early just go to Headliners, Deck 6, midships. When we went, two weeks ago, there were only a few people in there booking, the maître d type lady took our bookings for Le Bistro and La Cucina and we were on our way back to discovering the ship inside of 15 minutes.

I'm not sure if you can use iConcierge for bookings as soon as you are connected up. You can't always get to the screen in your cabin straight away as sometimes the doors to the accommodation areas are not always open. I find the big screens a bit temperamental and would worry about my booking until I could check it. These are just my views after our recent trip on the Escape.

Yeah, they aint just giving away a cruise. All the sheeple have to buy rip off tickets to bingo and such to even have a chance at winning this 'prize'.

Yeah and lets not forget you have to pay for a cruise to be able to get the raffle tickets.

I would just get a sailaway cabin and then purchase the URT (Ultimate Raffle Ticket) Package because the free cruise becomes astronomical when you factor in the price of the UBP and choosing your cabin and then adding the cost of the DSC both on this cruise and the free cruise. At least with the URT you can see your raffle tickets before you buy the bingo ... I'm getting confused now.

 

 

We self-disembarked at Southampton, and that was straightforward, though it was quite a long walk back to the car park with our luggage and no shuttle buses were provided.

 

I'm not going to comment on most of your post but the above summed it up for me. The ABP Car Parks are literally next to the terminal (City Cruise Terminal is usually the one favoured by NCL). I have walked further through airports with my luggage.

You could have watched the Spurs game in your stateroom with the sound up at least they showed the game. They never seem to show any Grimsby Town (a Cleethorpes based UK football team).

I think you should try Cunard next time.

OK I got off the Escape on Sunday, we purchased the certificates on the Thursday, we always get some.

It went like this. We chose the buy two get two free option

4 x $250 appeared on our on board account

Then we got 1 x $150, 2 x $125 and 1 x $100 credits as Non Refundable Credits

Looking at iConcierge our balance was $448 (we had some OBC left) and our Non Refundable credit showed $0

Checking my Credit Card Balance NCL charged me £390 for our 7 Days on the Escape and I have £800 of Cruise Next Certificates.

Either way we did it we would have ended up winners.

We did this cruise last week of November, first week of December 2017. The weather was great for Casablanca, Las Palmas, Santa Cruz, Funchal and Malaga, but it was very cold in Alicante. It was 30 degrees in Santa Cruz and when we went to Las Palmas we were able to take a nice stroll on the beach with the water lapping at our feet, there were plenty of people sun bathing.

I thought the Spirit was a lovely relaxed boat that doesn't try to be something it isn't.

The itinerary was great. As has been said by others the ports aren't anything out of the ordinary with the exception of Malaga, which I loved, and Casablanca which I thought was one of the most interesting places I have visited in a cultural way. Keith gives some great advice about going on an organised trip rather than doing it yourself. Interesting and beguiling it may be but I wouldn't want to get lost there.

It is funny that some of those from the UK that don't pay the DSC say they don't tip at home, while others advise us how much to tip in the UK. I think I'll go with those that say there is no tipping and if there is a service charge attached to the bill, I'll say I don't pay service charges either.

I used to pay the DSC, nowadays I pay my fare and NCL use part of that towards whatever the DSC goes towards.

Tipping is very rare in the UK. Some restaurants will try to add a service charge, especially if they are in London and your party has 6 or more people in it. You can ask for this charge to be removed. What is more likely to happen is that if the bill comes to say £73.50 that will be rounded up to £75 or £80 dependant on numbers. This will be given as change to the server rather than paid as part of the bill. There is no tipping at pubs or bars for drinks. The rule above applies for food in pubs and bars, taxis and cabs. Bellboys etc. can be slipped a quid or two but if they stand there with their hand out they should be reported to the management.

In conclusion most people do not tip and any tipping is completely discretionary and certainly only in very small amounts. The main reason for tipping in the UK is for very good or exceptional service. Tips are considered a bonus by the workers and not used to subsidise wages.

Hi , I’m sailing Vancouver to LA on the bliss 30/09/18 our first USA stop will be San Francisco I’m from uk and have my ESTA visa , can anyone tell me what the process is on arrival ?

What happens how long it takes etc ?

TIA.

Your ESTA is not a Visa. It gives you authority to travel to the US only. The UK is part of the Visa Waiver Program so no Visa is required. At Immigration you will have to stand by a booth and will have your fingerprints and retina scan registered, your passport will be checked and you may be asked a few questions. Once the border guard is happy they will stamp your passport and you will be allowed to continue on your journey.

It can be quite intimidating, just remember to be civil and answer all questions. Don't try to joke or behave in a frivolous manner. Most border guards I have had to deal with have been great and they know you're going to be a little nervous, even when you have nothing to hide.

Enjoy your cruise. The Bliss is lovely.

No, but they're not included in the DSC either.

Just curious -- if all tips etc are wrapped into the UK fare, how about those staying in the haven/suites. Are the butler/concierge tips included in the wrapped up fare?

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As a UK guest paying a Premium All inclusive price the DSC no longer exists. You pay a fare. How NCL decide to apportion that fare is entirely their business. You pay a fare and that fare includes what used to be the DSC, it also includes something that may be construed as the UBP and its associated gratuities and it also includes your stateroom, some internet time and a bottled water package. None of these are priced individually within your fare, they are included within the whole fare.

So as for removing the DSC under Premium All inclusive? Probably not.

Hi there,

 

We'll be cruising on NCL Escape in January and was wondering about the pre-authorization for onboard expenses. European CC's have lower credit limits than American CC's. Most people use their debit cards all of the time and the CC just for holidays and so do I. My credit limit is just about $1500. My estimated spending on board will be around $700-$1000. With the pre-authorization will that be sufficient or do I need to get in contact with my bank to increase my spending limit? Of course I do have enough funds on my debit card and cash, just not in credit. Another option would be to deposite cash or buy onboard credit in advance, but would like to avoid that if not absolutely necessary.

 

NB. We've booked a cruise with the premium all inclusive package so all drinks, service charges and gratuities are paid for in advance.

I'm a bit confused about a few things here. Please bare with me I am not trying to be rude.

In my experience European CCs (OK UK CCs) are no different for credit limits than anywhere else. You tend to find that as long as you are spending on them banks are quite happy to increase credit limits. If you are worried I would definitely approach your bank and ask if they could increase your credit limit. In the dim and distant past my bank used to increase my credit limit without me even asking. My credit limit rose so much in those heady days and I've never reduced it. Comes in handy occasionally and helps with your credit score.

Please, please, please, do not use your debit card especially if it is connected to your main bill paying account. Very bad things can happen with regards to holds stopping bills and direct debits being paid.

If you have the Premium All Inclusive package then you could in theory get by with not spending anything on board. Your estimate of $700 to $1000 may be a bit high, unless you plan on going on a few excursions and then mad in the shops.

You could set up a cash account. Using cash (obviously) and withdrawing cash with your debit card and using that too. If you go over then customer services will soon let you know and you could settle the remainder with your credit card.

I still think you should ask your bank to increase your credit limit.

i am sailing on the Escape ~ 9/2/18. I am an avid trivia buff. Not a great player but I know enough useless information to get by. Questions are...how often do they have it and is it recommended to form a group? And, if so, anyone else interested?

TIA for any info you may have.

Happy sailing 🛳

We are sailing on that cruise. We love the trivia. We'll probably start out as a three but by the third morning I can't really see my daughter rising before ten. Oddly enough the trivia was one of the things that convinced me that cruising was great, and also we met some good friends by attending trivia on our first cruise, they're meeting in NYC before this cruise although unfortunately not cruising.

9:30 AM sounds a lot better than the 9:00 AM we had on the Bliss TA.

Look out for Mighty Mariners, we always have that as our team name.

HAL may have an older crowd, but the service, entertainment and food are exponentially better than NCL. Just finished an NCL cruise for the first time, and after only cruising on HAL, I found NCL to be a dissapointment.

I’m no a foodie by any means. I get most my meals out of a vending machine at work, but the food on NCL was terrible. Not all of it, but most of the food was really aweful, and that was a consensus among the people we met. I never had one bad meal on an HAL cruise.

On HAL they will provide meal options that reflect the ports you are visiting, but not so much NCL. Plus the variety and quality of food on HAL is so much better. I know I go on about the food here, but the food is key to the cruise experience.

While the “freestyle” dining seems to be why people like NCL, you can get the same freestyle dining on HAL plus formal dining as well.

I thought the talent and entertainment were also much better on HAL. I remember when we visited Australia, HAL brought on board a diggereedoo musician and builder as part of the entertainment. They really prep you better on the cities you will be visiting.

I still realize that taking a cruise, not matter on HAL or NCL is a good experience, but dollar for dollar, HAL is much better choice from my experience.

HAL must be truly wonderful for you to join cruise critic and make one post on a thread started 2 years ago.

I've never sailed on HAL but as far as I can see the main difference is that their ships are a sort of Navy Blue and NCLs are mainly White with some nice hull artwork.

It is Starbucks coffee on the Bliss as stated. It is only served as part of the package when sat down for meals. It is not served as part of room service or at any coffee bars.

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Can be used in the MDR with breakfast. Just order the coffee and if they ask you to sign just produce your key card. You could get all indignant too, like my wife, but it serves no purpose.

Don't know about O'Sheehans as we don't use it very often.

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Just tried another line , and we felt comfortable. Every cruiseline has positives and negatives, irregardless of the Cheerleaders of each line.

Its not about cheerleading. The OP asked what got you hooked to NCL.

For me it was the freestyle dining.

of course being no stranger to NCL, I know what the benefits are. But am I weird for being most excited about the free laundry? What's your favorite Latitude perk?

We are in exactly the same boat (no pun intended) I think we're really looking forward to the Speciality Dining. We ate in Le Bistro once on our first cruise as it was part of an Anniversary package, but we've not dined in a Speciality Restaurant since then.

Strangely enough I am really excited about the free bag of laundry. I may bring some dirty laundry from home.

Thank you. I'm really telling my story with the hope that other's will not be foolish enough to buy cruise credits. I'll try to speak with someone at NCL who gives a darn about their reputation. If that doesn't I'll sell the certificates and avoid sailing with NCL:halo:

Well it won't work.

The cruise credits are valid on any NCL cruise for the next four years. I think you would find it very hard to prove that you bought the certificates purely to use on the cruise that existed when you bought them, but doesn't exist now. The cruise Next Certificates are non specific. As has been pointed out you could sell them at the value you bought them for. This insistence that NCL refund you for some non specific Cruise Next Certificates is just making you look silly and will not hurt NCL's reputation one iota. Good luck in your upcoming your word against their word battle. You'll need it.

I cannot understand the logic of this constant tipping for everything which Americans do but no one else in the world. You have already paid 20% which is excessive why give more? I have been on several NCL cruises and pother lines and never tipped extra and the service is no different too so one waving $ bills around

This

We booked an interior room on the Escape and were upgraded to a mid-ship balcony. We bid $75 per person which was considered a poor bid but we got the upgrade and so did our friends. I think it goes by how full the ship is. I did a mock booking and all interior rooms were sold out, the only ones available were family inside and sail away. They had a lot of balcony rooms left so it may be easier for them to upgrade interior to balcony and perhaps they can sell the interior rooms closer to sail date at a good rate. Just my opinion but glad we were upgraded.

We did much the same on the Bliss Trans Atlantic. We bid the very minimum (£55pp) to go from Inside to mid ship Balcony. We got it. I know the Bliss was only running at 50%ish capacity and I'm sure that helped as there seemed to still be quite a few empty balcony staterooms. It was the first time I'd put an upgrade bid in. The real secret is to be happy with the room you've booked and treat any upgrade as a bonus. What we tend to do now is book the room we want and then just make a minimum bid when the offers come around. That way we'll never be disappointed but might occasionally be very happy.