Georgia_Peaches

Thank you for this review.  We have our first MSC cruise in YC scheduled in March of 2020 and I am soaking up every YC review I can get my hands on.  Like you, we've done suites (and not suites) on other lines but are searching for something different.  Hoping YC can fit the bill.  Am wondering about bracelets that I've seen passengers wearing in videos.  Were you given a bracelet that you were required to wear?  If so, what was the purpose?  I'm just not fond of having to wear an issued bracelet.  

Glad you made it safely.  I love Barcelona as an embarkation port...so much to see and do.  I hope you enjoy.

Just as an aside, I think it's strange that your meal consisted of both mashed potatoes and potato salad.  🤔

Just sent my email to celebrityonetouch@celebrity.com.   I'm hoping their inbox is flooded.  

9 hours ago, wpgcycler said:

Not a frequent cruiser but just someone who has thoroughly enjoyed my 2 X cruises and found them to be remarkable value. I've often spoken highly to my friends about the experience and have convinced 3 other couples (all first time cruisers) to join us for our 3rd cruise, next January. With the removal of free movies I'm now realizing they'll have to make do with only a dozen bars, several dining venues, nightly theatre productions, a couple of pools, the sound and sight of the sea, a thermal lounge, a fitness centre, a library, unlimited premium drinks and a few Caribbean islands. WHAT HAVE I DONE???

Congratulations on booking your third cruise!  And you convinced another couple to join you as well!  That's awesome.  We've been trying to get our friends to cruise with us for years!  They prefer terra firma.  But I must say that judging from your tongue and cheek response, I am guessing that you didn't read the thread from the beginning.  If you had, I think you would recognize the many reasons that cruisers rely on free movies being available in the stateroom.  So I won't repeat them.  But I will say, that my DH and I do not to have mobility issues, we have no young children or grandchildren (currently), have only had great weather on our sailings, and don't yet have enough flexibility in our schedules to enjoy a prolonged cruise with many sea days.  We partake of the casino, production shows, window shop, enjoy the ports of call, visit the bars, etc...and we still love and appreciate free movies while on our cruise.  Is it a deal breaker without them?  No, not in isolation.  But what might be a deal breaker is the continued diminishment of a product that so many have known and loved.  I hope your friends, whom you've convinced to cruise with you don't get disappointed should they wish to top off their evening with a movie while they snuggle up in bed.  But, unlike Celebrity did with their guests, you have plenty of time to warn them so that they can prepare.  I really do wish you a great trip with many fond memories.

Following from Celebrity. Is it weird that I’m just as excited for your embarkation day as I get for my own?  💁‍♀️

Also have my first YC booked in March after spending lots of time in Celebrity’s Suite life and NCL’s Haven. Like Hcat, I had no real interest in switching but between Celebrity’s massive price hikes (and continued cutbacks) and NCL’s abysmal customer service...well, you know the saying...never say never. Will be following on MSC with great interest. 

2 minutes ago, WAVTAM said:

Have moved on to Viking Ocean

Side bar question...Is there a casino on their ships?

7 hours ago, twodjs said:

How is it that Holland America can offer lots of very current movies on demand all for FREE and charge less for their cabins when Celebrity charges way more and can't figure out how to provide decent movies built into the price of the cruise?

I know very little about HA but I do  know that Celebrity just launched a very expensive new ship and has another one following behind very soon...perhaps it's time for Celebrity to pay the piper for those very expensive endeavors and in order to do so, they raise prices and make cutbacks...just my guess.

1 hour ago, Norwegian Cruiser 73 said:

No extra charge to use the Aurea area as long as you are in the YC. 

This is great information to know.  Thank you for posting!  I have no problem with children but as a retired educator, sometimes I do need a break from them 😉.

4 hours ago, Starry Eyes said:

Thanks for the review.  The pictures are especially nice.

 

We are cruising on the Sun soon and will be driving to port.  We have used Port Canaveral for other lines; this will be our first NCL cruise out of this particular port.  We are trying to decide whether to park at port or off port with shuttle.  Did you park at the port?  If so, did you pay for parking upon arrival or departure?  Was it a smooth operation or did you encounter lines/delays in garage?

We parked at the pier and paid when we exited.  It was very seamless.  I liked being able to keep my car in the shade of the covered parking and I prefer this over taking the shuttle.  Plenty of parking was available.  I hope you enjoy your cruise!

HDMI's, universal remotes, streaming...it's a shame.  Nobody should have to be thinking about how they are going to access a movie, much less about the extra equipment they need to bring along in order to do so.  Come on Celebrity, wise up.

Wondering if this is fleet-wide in all cabin categories.  We are on Silhouette in a RS in November for our wedding anniversary.  Thought it might be nice to have dinner brought in for a dinner and a movie date night in the quiet of our suite.  

And BTW...can movies be accessed for a fee?  or are they gone altogether?

On 9/8/2019 at 8:10 PM, sfaaa said:

Still has free movies on big screen. Grab a beach towel and go watch them on the top deck.

Not the same as stretching out for a movie at the end of the day in the privacy and tranquility of your own cabin...IMO.

20 hours ago, ColeThornton said:

I don't understand why the daughter is paying twice the normal fare.  

I wondered that myself.  Have been tied to the school calendar for the last 27 years and have never paid twice the normal fee.

My first thought was to cancel and rebook which is what I would do immediately.  Many others have already suggested this action.  Lesson here is don't book a GTY category.  But there's still tome to "fix" it.

They are actually quite large. The window cutout in the wall is the same size as an ocean view cabin window but with a circular window instead. I liked it a lot and loved how close it felt to the water. 

1 hour ago, graphicguy said:

So, my TA, genuinely sorry about how this "non-cruise" turned out, sent me an email today with a 9 Day Cruise out of Copenhagen on the Getaway for about the same as I was going to spend on the Breakaway on 9/1 doing the Western Caribbean.

 

Talk about out of left field, but that's intriguing.  

 

I've sailed the Mediterranean on the MSC Meriviglia and loved it.  Copenhagen isn't even a cruise I've even thought about. 

 

This would also be in the Haven.

 

Opinions?

Get back in the saddle, Graphicguy!  Sounds like a great opportunity for NCL to redeem themselves in your eyes while seeing a part of the world you had not considered for cruising.  If the price is right, I say go for it!

Well just curious, what is included in the drinks package if you're in the YC?

Yes, using the stairs is a must.  Those with mobility issues should avoid deck 6.  Otherwise, it's not an issue to walk down a flight of stairs.

2 hours ago, Outerdog said:

 

What kind of repairs do you suppose a four year old ship which just came out of extensive dry dock would need which would necessitate the closing of an entire restaurant for seven days?

 

They could service the Haven restaurant from another galley. Might be a little inconvenient for the crew, but that's better than inconveniencing the passengers.

 

Look at the example of this OP. They have stated they have some mobility issues and those issues are one of their drivers for booking the Haven... so they can remain within short distances of the services they paid for. Not that the pax should have to explain themselves, mind you.

 

Another solution floated in this thread was to split the closing across two sailings. Might have made the pill a little easier to swallow.

 

See that? There's two options right there, two reasonable options.  And I'm just a dumb-dumb on Cruise Critic.

 

If I could give a free cruise for the best answer of the thread, it would go to you!  This captures exactly what I feel and what I think others have tried to articulate as well.  A newly dry docked ship should not have to undergo such extensive repairs that it shuts down an exclusive dining venue for an entire week.  End of story.  This repair work has been on the books for a while, I presume.  It didn't just pop up.  Perhaps it should have been noted on the haven booking when it was made.  IDK maybe that's not practical.  I do think that NCL has offered a solution that will work for most people.  But here's a thought...why not shut down a venue like, say, La Cucina for the week and make that the Haven restaurant venue?  That would put all kinds of people up in arms and I'm sure would never happen.  Better to inconvenience a small percentage of passengers than an entire ship.  The bottom line is, there's no easy answer.  I think NCL has done the best they can in this situation and many suggestions have been made that will hopefully be viable for the OP now that their cruise is underway. But I applaud you for hitting the nail on the head.

1 hour ago, mafig said:

Thanks a lot GP.  Nowyou really have me confused!!!

Oops, sorry.  I suppose you will just have to try them both and decide for yourself.  😁Either way, it's a good problem to have.  Please report back and tell us what you decided.

Update:  I think GMGHARDY (above) captures it well.  It would seem that you can't really go wrong with whatever you choose.

1 hour ago, mafig said:

Those NCL suites outside the Haven sure are nice, but I wondered do we really need two bathrooms and all that storage space for just the two of us?

Well now that you've mentioned the haven aft penthouses, let me just say that IMO they are the best cabin out there!  We had one on deck 9 on Breakaway back in June.  The space is absolutely beautiful.  Deck 9 has one of the deepest, if not the deepest balconies on the ship.  The master bath overlooks the ocean and the master bedroom is tucked just behind that and is very dark at night.  I loved this bc I like a very dark room when I sleep.  The extra bath came in handy...not really the shower but just the extra toilet/sink.  Usually, my DH will find a place on the ship where he can have his morning constitutional without having to take up the main bathroom.  In this suite, he never had to leave the room for the "special place".  Also, there were a few afternoons when it rained and we watched the down pours from the comfort and protection of our balcony.  Took a few naps out there too.  As far as the walk to the Haven, well there is that but being on deck 9 put us much closer to all the other venues.  We got around the distance issue by packing a pool bag with a change of clothes, usually work out clothes, and kept them in the locker room in the thermal suite area so that we didn't have to traipse back and forth so many times through out the day.  We also had excellent service from our butler despite some reviews that indicated that they are less attentive to guests outside the Haven.  IDK...if you have an opportunity to book one of these cabins, I think you'll find them hard to beat! 

2 hours ago, Hypo said:

Which RS did you have?  We are in 1241 in a few weeks.

We were in 1118...same deck as 1241.  Loved the location.  Was a little concerned about noise/traffic because it was do close to the elevators but the location was very quiet and so convenient.  Additionally, if memory serves, I believe there are doors that separate the elevator area from the hallway leading to the staterooms.  I hope you enjoy!

Have been in an Haven Penthouse and it was plenty spacious ...about 270 sq. feet room size and 58 sq. ft. balcony size. The balcony was small but big enough for 2 people to have morning coffee.  We are trying a YC Deluxe suite in March.  YC Deluxe, approx 226 sq ft with balcony...but it's not broken down by inside specs and balcony specs.  So over all the Haven PH is a little bit bigger.  Youtube videos of the YC Deluxe suggest that there will be enough room for 2...but in the video the space between the two categories seems about the same.  The actual dimensions tell a different story.  So I guess the question is, will you be spending enough time in your room for the size difference to matter?  Or will the exclusive amenities be enough to offset.  I hope to be better able to answer that in the coming months.

We sailed Equinox in a RS.  Service on our cruise was mostly excellent.  There were a few things that I didn't care for, like the recorded messages on the phone...mainly because I couldn't figure out how to get the blinking light to stop flashing.  The other issue we had was with our A/C in the bedroom.  It just didn't seem very cool.  The butler did go out of his way to try and cool things off by setting up a fan.  I remember the food being good with the exception of Tuscan Grill.  Service was very slow and food was just OK that night.  I really wanted to do the glass blowing but could never get an appointment slot.  Other than those minor issues, our cruise was lovely.  While I'm not really interested in the Equinox again, we have a November cruise on Silhouette and I am counting down the days.  OP, I hope you find what you're looking for on your next sailing.

I've never done the upgrade program but when the offer comes in, it's usually for 2 to 3 categories higher than what I've booked.  So if you're in an inside you might get offers to upgrade to a better inside category, an ocean view, and maybe a balcony.  But if you are interested in upgrading my recommendation is to keep an eye on prices and if they drop, call your TA or whomever and simply pay the difference.  This will get you the associated perks being offered at that time as well as the location you've picked. AND it can often be less $$ than you would have bid. I did this twice on my last cruise on Breakaway.  Once was an upgrade to a category that dropped to the same price that I originally paid and the other was for a slight out of pocket for a category that dropped in price...that I really wanted to try.  Just my 2 cents...