amygutman

@mafig I cannot wait for the responses! Sailing Epic on a transatlantic in November 2024. It was much less expensive that other NCL ships which our TA believes is due to the lack of a covered Haven area. Not having a covered Haven pool in November on the Atlantic is clearly not ideal but the price was so good we jumped. 

Are you booked yourself? And if so, may I ask which itinerary - super curious due to the dust-up with cancellations of many Epic sailings. 

Warmest Amy

@www3traveler Not to hijack @justhappy's thread, but any thoughts on Seattle Sunset cruises? We are on the Encore Sept 24 (26 days, 75 minutes from today but who's counting) and arriving a few days early to see the city. Booked a sunset cruise the night before we board the Encore as it has rave reviews and figured it was a good way to see the Sound. 

Have been on the Seattle Port threads, TripAdvisor and Viator and a little overwhelmed with amazing choices to see, eat and do. 

Warmest Amy

3 hours ago, Wombservice said:

@amygutman, thanks so much - that was exactly information I was looking for!!!!  It’s hard to see on the videos how much storage is in the room (even the Harr travel video kind of glosses over that), so hearing about it from someone who’s been in there is soooo helpful 👍🏻
 The other couple with us is actually one of my other sons and his wife - who are both quite tall - so we’ll have to see who of us gets the short end of the stick! 😉

You have restored my faith in this cabin though, thanks!

@Wombservice Anything to help out the person with by far the coolest user name on CC.

One thing that may be helpful as well are an inexpensive set of small cloth storage bins to put on the shelves in the 2nd bedroom. Very helpful for things like socks, undies, swim goggles, etc. Amazon Basics Cloth Drawer Storage Organizer Boxes, Set of 6, Gray is about 12$ US and we have used a set for many cruises. Also great for the bathroom to store toothbrushes, hairbrushes and toiletries if you do not have a Dopp kit. They pack flat, take up little space and clean easily. Our housekeeper liked our set so much that on our last Pearl cruise we gave them to him when we packed up. 

Warmest Amy

1 hour ago, UKstages said:

on the prima, ALL comedy shows have been moved to the theatre. at least that was the case on my transatlantic B2B in may and june of this year. i assume they have done the same on the viva. on the prima, they use the improv space for trivia, solo traveler meet ups,  lectures and such, this making the branding a puzzlement. there is no longer any comedy presented in the dedicated space for comedy.

 

as for ben and david, you couldn’t hope for two more passionate, independent and unbiased reviewers. while I generally agree with them, I took exception to some factual errors they made in their video of the viva. and while that video review (which is about an hour long) leans toward the negative, i actually thought they were overly generous with their praise, based on my experiences on the nearly identical prima.

 

as for the troll, JITT. 

 

just ignore the troll… literally set the message board settings to ignore anybody who - in your opinion - doesn’t contribute or edify the conversation and only seeks to stir the pot, poke the bear. don’t engage. don’t respond.

 

 

@UKstages Agree wholeheartedly. Personally, I do that opposing views are always interesting, but stir-potters are often fixed in their opinions and resistant to reasonable discussions. However - they do make for some lively discourse!

Warmest Amy

9 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

When I saw your concern for the pic of the lady at the bottom of the stairs my first thought was you can take the girl out of the ER (for a cruise) but you can’t take the ER out of the girl!  😊. If I ever had to go to one, I’d want you @amygutman!  

@Georgia_Peaches That made my heart so happy!!!! And no - you can't take the gal out of the ED. The med kit my DH and I bring on cruises is better equipped than a few of the off the beaten paths I've worked in my life!

Warmest Amy 

@MonsterJoe Lovely review, and you and your family took such a wonderful memory photo. I personally am terrified of those stairs, but you guys really made them work to your advantage. Great memory - thank you for sharing. 

Warmest Amy

4 hours ago, SpacemanSpiff said:

 

Considering there were multiple complaints by them about how the lighting was too bright in much of the ship, that's a rather interesting note.

Ah...the Haven area specifically. Apologies for not clarifying that. Yes...they did say the rest of the ship, especially the shopping area was too bright. 

Don't you think the colors do look drab especially in the Haven bar area? Maybe it's just me, or maybe the video. Heck...we are on a cruise, not at work, so it could be painted pure black and I'd still be pretty darned happy. 

Warmest A,y

16 minutes ago, justhappy said:

I promised you, so you’re the inspiration for this report!

I’ll try to get my friends, (they were the ones with us on the Getaway in April) to take a few pics of the Haven for you. I got to tour the Haven on the Encore in November 2019 when I was a travel agent and got to do a 3 night working cruise for travel and media folks. You’re going to love it❤️

Love, Love, Love this room. The luxury of a full separate bed / bathroom is amazing. Yes, it is smaller than the main bedroom, but it is very cozy and well-appointed. The pullout is quite comfy with the mattress topper - have spent a number of nights there when kiddo preferred to cuddle with my husband (in his pre-teen years...now he wants nothing to do with either of us 😄).

Is it as soft as a "real" bed - no. But it's easy to get in and out of, and fits two average-sized adults. It can be a challenge though for the "inside edge" sleeper as they do have to crawl over the "outside edge" sleeper if they need to use the facilities at night.  When tucked away as a couch the room space is good. Bathroom is surprisingly large with storage though if I remember correctly the outlets are in the 2nd bedroom wall by a shelf. There is also an adequate amount of drawers / shelves and closet space in the bedroom for 2 adults for "average" packers on a 7 days cruise. If you needed more space, the main bedroom / bathroom does have a ton of storage.

The living room is a great place to hang out for the 2nd couple if they need a little more breathing space. Actually...that's the only complaint with the smaller bedroom is that it can get a little stinky if the bathroom is used as the "number 2 room" (as my kiddo refers to it). A little poopouri or solid air fresher takes care of that problem though. 

You can go to Youtube and see lots of examples, but I recommend Harr Travel's Youtube review - very detailed. Your friends are lucky your other family dropped out...they will have a wonderful time!

Warmest Amy

@justhappy So HAPPY myself to see your introduction to your cruise. I've been excited to read it ever since we met you and your lovely husband on the Getaway and cannot wait to hear your report. Wishing you great weather and a wonderful cruise!

Warmest Amy

On 8/16/2023 at 8:46 PM, Fla Mike said:

 No... it is a photo I found on Google...totally unrelated...sorry

@Fla Mike and @Essiesmom I should have realized based upon the lack of sparkles and mirrors 🤣

Warmest Amy

16 hours ago, Daniel A said:

Do you know if the Haven spa offers the same massages as the rest of the ship has?

@Daniel A From my understanding, you can order the majority of the same massage / facial experiences with the exception of the full-body salt rubs as there is no "spa shower" area in the Haven. It's actually more relaxing I understand as they often do not push products to sell as hard as they do not have those products on hand (and have to be sent to your rooms). 

Honestly, I have always gone to the spa itself or on the spa on the private island vs having a massage in the Haven; I hate the upselling of products (stresses me out to say no, as I know the spa team is heavy on commissions) and the pricing is super high unless I have OBC. Plus, if you have your treatment in the spa area, you can just walk right over to the thermal loungers which are my favorite thing in any spa on any ship. I'd love to have one in my bedroom at home!

Warmest Amy

On 8/17/2023 at 6:21 AM, david_sobe said:

BTW
This is great video. NCL Viva walkthrough

 

Love these guys - actually have a Patreon with Ben and David them so I am biased and didn't post a link to their video for that reason. Don't always agree with them but found their review interesting for 2 reasons:

1. 1) They LOVED the Prima, though had the same complaints on as the Viva re: entertainment and dining venues being too small. It's interesting that they give the Viva such a negative review when it's essentially the same ship as the Prima. 
2. 2) They appear to be sailing in the Haven which is not what Ben and David usually do. It's a shame as it appears to be a very different Haven experience than on the other ships. It's really a terrible color scheme and decor - 1960s Ikea with poor lighting and dim spaces. The outdoor areas look nice, but not spectacular. 

Disappointing all around - but, as I've mentioned before, we booked the Viva 2025 for the itinerary in spite of the ship. It's usually the other way around. 

Thank you for sharing...Warmest Amy

1 hour ago, Daniel A said:

Can the pre-cruise concierge make a reservation in advance for massages?

@Daniel A My husband has tried this for a birthday surprise. The pre-concierge will write down the request but the times / type of massage cannot be booked until on the ship. No worries though...there is always a spa therapist in the Haven (and often in the Haven terminal area) to take care of your requests. 

I hope you enjoy your spa time!

Warmest Amy

7 hours ago, Norwegian Cruiser 73 said:

During the christening ceremony of the MSC Euribia in June i visited a Yacht Club Deluxe Suite and a Yacht Club Duplex Suite with a private jacuzzi. Have a look at the videos below 🙂 What's your favourite?

 

 

 

@Norwegian Cruiser 73 Thank you so much! Very excited to look at these later (my phone is not cooperating re: videos right now). 

Much appreciated - Warmest Amy

9 hours ago, Fla Mike said:

 

Same lady later in the evening, She decided to take the stairs after she broke the elevator panel. (That was the noise you heard).

 

Is this real? Is she OK?

13 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

Typical long cruiseny4life post ahead....but you wanted detail @BirdTravels, so I'm giving you details. 🙂

 

Alrighty, I'm home and have been able to check out my invoices. When considering the total price of the cruise, like everything, the cost did go over $400 per person, per day for some of our Haven cruises. When I think about $400 per person, per day, I'm thinking about the accommodations and taxes/port fees. I don't really consider spa services, BOGO Air, additional dining packages, shore excursions, Free at Sea service charges, etc. as part of that, but if you do, then I was wrong. We're 50/50 on the under $400 per day.

 

I'll also add that we adjust the shore excursions constantly. I did choose the confirmation just prior to the cruise for each of these cruises, but we did adjust a lot due to weather/what we wanted to do on the cruise. I doubt the shore excursion price is as high as it was. BUT, we have gone to the spa for massages each cruise, so perhaps those cancel each other out.

Anyway, here's the data for the four cruises we've taken, plus our upcoming Transatlantic!

 

Cruise 1: 7 days, Getaway, Bermuda, Haven Penthouse Suite (HI) - April (Easter break), 2022 $466.88 per person, per day, includes Free at Sea services charges for beverages/dining, prepaid service charges, travel protection, taxes/port fees, two or three shore excursions, thermal suite, and the fare. Just fare and govt. taxes/fees/port expenses, the cost $347.89 per person, per day.

 

 

Cruise 2: 9 days, Getaway, Bahamas, Aft Haven Penthouse with Master Bedroom (HA) - September, 2022 $355.00 per person, per day, includes Free at Sea services charges for beverages/dining, prepaid service charges, travel protection, taxes/port fees, two or three shore excursions, thermal suite, and the fare. Just fare and govt. taxes/fees/port expenses, the cost $371.91 per person, per day.

 

 

Cruise 3: 8 days, Getaway, Bahamas, Aft Haven Penthouse with Master Bedroom (HA) - New Year's Eve 2022/2023 $397.83 per person, per day, includes Free at Sea services charges for beverages/dining, prepaid service charges, travel protection, taxes/port fees, one shore excursion, thermal suite, and the fare. Just fare and govt. taxes/fees/port expenses, the cost $306.73 per person, per day.

 

Cruise 4: 7 days, Joy, Western Carribean, Haven Suite (HJ) - March, 2023 $439.34 per person, per day, includes BOGO Airfare, one transfer from port to airport, Free at Sea service charges for beverages/dining, prepaid service charges, travel protection, taxes/port fees, two meal dining package, shore excursions, and of course the fare. If looking at just the fare and govt. taxes/fees/port expenses, the cost of the cruise was $270.49 per person, per day.

 

The invoice looks different, so there's two different screenshots. One is the itemized list, the next is the total payments. I'm not sure why it is different. I didn't include all our payments/refunds for changing shore excursions (hapy to if you'd like it though). Joy doesn't have a thermal suite, so alas, no thermal suite.

 

 

And, finally! The fifth one. The most exciting one! Because.....it's our upcoming cruise in 97 days and it's our longest cruise on Norwegian's second newest ship, PR1MA!!!

 

Cruise 5: 11 days, PR1MA, Transatlantic from Barcelona to NYC, Haven Stateroom (HE) - November, 2023 $387.82 per person, per day, includes BOGO Airfare, Free at Sea service charges for beverages/dining, prepaid service charges, travel protection, taxes/port fees, two meal dining package, shore excursions, thermal suite, and of course the fare. If looking at just the fare and govt. taxes/fees/port expenses, the cost of the cruise was $262.69 per person, per day.

 

Norwegian must have altered how they structured their invoice between December, 2022 and March, 2023 as this one will also be broken into two separate images.

 

 

@cruiseny4life Thank you so much for sharing. I'm a very data-driven person so this was really interesting to read. Appreciate the information. 

Warmest Amy

Just now, amygutman said:

@Fla Mike As a Red Sox fan, I would find NO time when a Yankees cap would EVER be considered acceptable. Warmest Amy

Let's try that again.... 😉

On 8/15/2023 at 8:11 AM, Fla Mike said:

 

Oops, then the Lakers shirt with correctly tilted Yankees cap, (for the women) and the Jimmy's are perfectly acceptable 🙃

@Fla Mike As a Red Sox fan, I would find NO time when a Yankees cap would EVER be considered acceptable. Warmest Amy

4 hours ago, jcathers1 said:

I'm not sure where you got that information about 1 hour/day on MSC, but that's not been our experience, and we just got off a cruise a few weeks ago. The thermal suite has always been unlimited and no need for reservations.

@jcathers1 We were told that info on our April Meraviglia and July Seaside cruise, both by the spa staff (on day 1 when we toured the facilities) and the YC concierge during their introductory welcome. Raja (the chief concierge on the Seaside) was very direct in saying he and his staff were more than happy to make the reservations but they did need to be made to avoid overcrowding. 

There has been mention on other forums about YC members being turned away without reservations whilst some never are questioned. Everyone's experience is different of course, but just passing on the information given to us on our last two cruises. 

Warmest Amy

3 hours ago, schmoopie17 said:

Loved the Observation Lounge on the Bliss and Prima.

 

We're on the Pearl in December. I know there's no OL on the Pearl, but I seem to recall reading that the Spinnaker Lounge is similar to the OL. True?

@schmoopie17 Yes...The Spinnaker on the Pearl (and Gem) are very similar plus have lovely bar areas. Honestly, they are our favorite spots to hang out on these ships. There is a ton of trivia, performances, and activities here as well and the best views on the ship. 

Warmest Amy

14 hours ago, kessdarln said:

Yes, entertainment and the Latitude party was there; and such yummy food from 12-5 see below.  The very back of buffet has the 2nd level of the Observation Lounge - and therefore the amazing front windows.  Hope this helps - feel free to ask away. General Ship Tip, grab the first elevator that goes up or down, that will make it stress free 😄 

@kessdarln Love to see another Emma Cruises fan with her Captain Hudson! Saving lives one stuffed animal at a time!

Warmest Amy

@jcathers1 Agree that the Yacht Club amenities are in general broader than in the Haven. There are been very "vigorous" CC forum discussions re: pros and cons of the Haven vs the YC, including perks. We fall in the middle - love the NCL ships and Haven areas so much more than MSC, but agree that the YC perks in general can be more enticing for (often) a better price.  

Is the stateroom mini-fridge included?

In the Owner Suites or Garden Villas, Yes. Otherwise, No. As kiddo loves diet soft drinks and DH and I love vodka seltzers, we find that if we give our butler 100$ and say "can you make sure that we never run out of drinks", we generally have a never ending supply. Not presuming this will work for everyone (though as @Sthrngary has stated that it never hurts to ask politely) but it's never failed us when we book non-OS rooms. 

Is the thermal suite included (for non "spa" rooms)?

No, but on many of the ships there is a lovely sauna in the Haven pool area. On MSC you get 1 hour / day at the thermal spa (it's no longer unlimited) which has to be reserved in advance by the concierge. It's a nice perk, but it's always been so busy in the MSC thermal spa that it's neither relaxing nor quiet. Compared to NCL where it's rare to run into another cruiser in the Haven sauna. I prefer walking out of my door, having a lovely bake, then back onto my balcony without traversing the ship in a robe and bathing suit to go to the ship spa. 

Do Haven guests get the highest level beverage package?

I believe it's premium plus, so not the highest, but pretty darn good. I believe it depends on how you book your cruise. We use a TA and his agency and always have the premium plus as part of our package. Perhaps another CC forum member can give a definitive answer. 

Does the Haven restaurant menu change every night?

No, but there are specials every night plus a basic non-rotating menu. You can also ask for special meal "tweaks", and if you really love something not on the menu, speak to your waiter. It's amazing how hard the restaurant staff works to keep you happy and your requests (when within reason) met. That's how I ended up with curried Indian veggies and dal with pappadams on the 3rd night of a cruise - had mentioned at lunch that we were planning on going to the buffet for dinner as the Indian selections looked so enticing. Our waiter told us to come to her in the Haven instead for dinner and "she would make it worth my while". And yes....she absolutely did!

Warmest Amy

Agree that 16 was a great location, central to everything. Loved being near the bar / lounge / restaurant area but especially the pool and pool deck as it was a very "easy in / easy out" for kiddo to go from the room to the pool then back and not worry about wet clothing. 

We were in 16112 Two Bedroom Suite. As you can see from the deck plans below, there are really no "long distances" to travel to the Haven proper f you are deck 16. Deck 15 has a very similar layout with easy stairs or elevator access. The aft Haven suites have glorious balconies, but do require a bit of walking - which, considering how good the food is in the restaurant, may be a good thing to keep those cruise pounds down! 😃

Hope that's helpful,

Warmest Amy

10 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

No. Not even other CC members. I attribute this to the desire of cruisers to take advantage of every moment while on board and dedicate it to enjoyment. The time passes much more quickly while one is on vacation. There is too much to do, planning, booking, eating, eating some more, drinking , oh the drinking. Who (in their right minds) wants to go on line and 'waste' time reading my dribble. There is time enough when one returns home and tunes in to see if they missed something and then they wonder "Were we on the same cruise?" We didn't see any interlopers, terrible food, shorts, ball caps swimsuits in the MDR, nor remember the same show productions; or the comedian we saw was hilarious." Or maybe I'm just too boring.

P.S. I love reading @Essiesmom, @Georgia Peaches, and Warmest Amy live posts they give me so many ideas to look into.

@morpheusofthesea right back at you! I love your take on the YC ad cruising in general. Actually...I enjoy reading CC in general. Yes, opinions are like, ahem...ya know, but still - I love reading opining on ships, locations, restaurants, tours...etc. We have an amazing TA but I would say 75% of our bookings are based upon something I read or saw on CC.

I am disappointed to have no photos of the velociraptor sighting if you saw Peter Punk - was such a funny Seaside moment and wondering if it's part of the Seashore experience.

Warmest Amy