piper45maru

The site has been down for me all day on Firefox and Chrome other than doing general searches (errors when trying to do anything account related). Finally decided I was not going to be able to book online and sucked it up and called (I despise making calls to strangers, lol). The agent found a better deal than the Cyber Monday deal I had found, with the room being $10 cheaper (overall for the entire cruise for two passengers, but 10 bucks is 10 bucks) with a $100 onboard credit. So, my frustration at the website not working turned into happiness when I got an even better deal by calling.

I read a valid review of a very bad layout. I have been on the Victory and the layout is indeed poor compared to many other ships. The lines ARE long and slow. When you go on different ships that have better layouts it is easy to make the comparison so people have information.

 

There's a reason the new ships do not use this same layout. It does not work well.

 

You should try reading reviews as just being factual downloads and not take all critiques as complaints.

Absolutely agree. After being on a cruise ship that holds 50% more passengers than the Victory and experiencing virtually no lines at the buffet and then cruising the Victory with way less passengers, I was amazed at the buffet lines. And this was in spite of reading critiques/warnings (which I wouldn't consider complaints) here, including this one, ahead of time. I was glad I had the reviews so I was able to make the decision ahead of time to eat in the MDR for lunch. A decision I was glad of every time I had the occasion to pass by the buffet and see those lines--with my tummy already satisfyingly full from MDR food! :)

How close are the Tiki Hut and Jyah's? I have been to Nassau before and walked to Fat Tuesday, but I did not go any further. Looking to hang out at the Tiki Hut, but not sure which you come to first, Tiki Hut or Jyah.. I read that the same guy owns both, named Byron? People seem to like him, say he is a good guy.. I hope to find out at the end of May!

Jyah has the first section of beach; it'll be the first thing you come to after Fat Tuesday.

Thanks for the walking tour review. How was Graycliff? They have chocolate making and cigar making there- did you see those?

We didn't actually go in. We just walked far enough to see the place where royalty used to stay. :) At that point, we were pretty hot and just wanted to get to the beach.

Thank you for your walking tour review. Does Nassau really seem as scary/dirty as I've read in some of the threads?

Not at all, to me at least. As I was walking, I kept thinking of all of the negative reviews I'd read here and couldn't reconcile them with what I experienced. Yes, the area just outside the port is absolute chaos, and you will have people asking you every few seconds if you want your hair braided, a taxi ride, a horse-drawn carriage ride, a tour, etc. etc. etc. My niece and I politely told them no thanks, and they moved on to the next person. I never felt unsafe, just ready to get beyond that area to escape the chaos. I've experienced similar on pretty much all of the Caribbean islands I've visited, and I've always found no matter where I am that a firm but polite "no thank you" is always enough.

Once we were away from the port area, it was quiet and clean. The sidewalks could be kept up better, but that would be my only criticism.

At Junkanoo Beach, based on reviews, we stopped at the first area, just past the BCH, in Jyah's area (you can do a Google search). The beach was well-maintained (no glass) with beautifully colored (but cloudy) water.

Everyone's perspectives are different, though, and I had to laugh as I laid there in the sun. My niece and I went in the water to cool off and found it refreshing, with the sand perfectly walkable beneath our feet. About 5 minutes after we returned to our towels, a woman who had just been in the exact same spot in the water as us came back and sat down near us, and when her husband asked how it was, she immediately stated that it was "cold and rocky." I laughed to myself and thought of all the differing opinions on these threads. It wouldn't have crossed my mind to describe it as either! Is it fine grain sand? No, but I wouldn't say it's rocky, either. Water temperature is clearly subjective, too. ;)

Anyway, I felt perfectly safe, but I didn't wear any valuables, took minimal amounts of cash, wore a running belt underneath my shirt where I kept the little money I did bring (and our sail and sign cards and copies of our passports), so if anyone had grabbed my beach bag, all they'd have gotten were beach towels and a couple of paperbacks, and I was always cognizant of what was going on around me.

Thinking of these threads, I asked my niece at one point if she felt unsafe, and she just looked at me like I was crazy. YMMV, of course, but from my perspective, I found a quaint little town (once away from the pier) with a nice beach to spend a pleasant afternoon in.

I promised to report back, so here goes. My 14-year-old niece and I decided to explore a little of the town and then head to Junkanoo Beach for an inexpensive/laidback day (it was a Friday). Our ship arrived at noon, so we ate before we got off the ship, so I can't really comment on best places to eat.

I downloaded the Frommer's Nassau walking tour map from online (I'm not sure if I'm allowed to post a link or not but it's easy to find online) and we followed that roughly, walking past Rawson Square and Parliament Square on the way to the Queen's Staircase. The sidewalks abruptly end in some places, so that was one thing that made it a little difficult. My niece and I were the only tourists that I saw once we got away from the cruise area, and we passed one or two citizens here or there, but it was a very quiet walk.

Once we got to the Queen's Staircase, we saw a lot more tourists. There was a lady with a table set up selling souvenirs and water there. It was very shady and quiet and lovely, so my niece and I sat there for a few minutes to rest, enjoy the shade, and drink some water (we brought from the ship). We then climbed up the stairs and visited For Fincastle. There are a gift shop and some restrooms there, as well as locals selling souvenirs. We paid the $1/person fee to go inside the fort and got some great pics looking down on the ships in the harbor, but I probably wouldn't do that again.

We then wound down the hill via a cement footpath and headed to the Nassau General Post Office so I could buy stamps and mail the postcards I bought at the fort gift shop. From there, we went down East Hill Street, and again, we were among the few pedestrians. We went by St. Andrew's Kirk and the Government House on our way to see Graycliff. Then we headed down Cumberland toward the British Colonial Hilton and over to Junkanoo.

It was about 1.5 hours, including waiting at the post office, from the time we left the ship until we got to the beach. It was a nice little walk (although a little difficult at times because of the state of some sidewalks and the nonexistent sidewalks in some places), and I'm glad I got to see more of Nassau than the port area or the beach. I loved the Queen's Staircase. I wouldn't do it again if I'm ever in Nassau, but I was happy I did it this time.

I did find a little hole-in-the-wall place on the way back from the beach to the ship where I had some decent conch fritters.

If you have any specific questions, I will try to answer them. Hope this review helps a little bit!

PS So thrilled to have the Fun Times. I generally take things day-by-day, minute-by-minute, but it's nice to have a general idea going in.

Thank you so much for the amazing, wonderful, picture-filled review! I am boarding her on the 7th, and I can't tell you how excited your review has made me. I was on her sister ship eons ago (got married on that cruise!), so I can't wait to experience all the similarities and differences that 13 years and being a sister ship bring! We have Your Time Dining, too, so I'm curious to see how our experience compares to yours.

Thanks again!

Thanks for the review! I am on the 3-day Bahamas on the Victory leaving on 4/7, so this is perfect timing. Can't wait to see more!

If it's warm enough, the sun deck all the way forward on Deck 18 was my favorite spot on the Epic. I was on in August vs. October, though.

You might be interested in this thread about best place to sit on the Epic:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2240207

When is your cruise? I plan on doing a modified Frommer's walking tour with my niece on my April 7 cruise. If you're going to be going later, I could report back here what I experienced.

Does anyone know if the current offers (free drinks package etc) apply to the getaway ta if travelling in a studio cabin?

Don't know about the TA specifically, but I booked a Studio last night for the regular Baltic itinerary, and I was eligible for one offer. Maybe you can do a mock booking to see if it's available on the TA?

Another good pick! :D

Just booked Baltic capitals for next June! Now I will be counting on being able to pick your brain as the cruise gets closer. And NCL makes up its mind on the final ports of call. :rolleyes:

Another good pick! :D

LOL, thanks! Second I heard I could get a Studio for a Baltic cruise, I was all in! :)

It isn't on sale yet. Latest is that it will be next Monday, as will the Jade.

Thanks for the update. I can stop checking several times a day now. :D

Buying the spa pass was the best thing I did for my Pearl cruise last November. The facilities are wonderful, and it was never crowded during my sailing. Most of the time there were only a handful of people there (and several times I was actually alone); once there were about 15 people there, for maybe 30 minutes or so, and that was the most crowded it got.

I was there every evening for my 4-day cruise, and there was never a Ladies Night. I too would have been upset to have to pay a second access fee if that had happened to me! Hopefully, NCL has discontinued/will discontinue that practice.

I loved the Key Lime bike tour in Key West! Have fun!

I'm headed to Nassau for the first time in April. Can't wait!

I was traveling solo on my transatlantic cruise. They refused to change my key card, so that I could have entered the studio lounge. They told me just to show up at the daily solo meeting.

 

This was 2 years ago. So I don't know what the current policy is now. But I would not make my decision depending on that.

This was my experience on the Epic in August 2015, even though several NCL hotel dept. crew members said I should have had access. Others have reported traveling solo, not staying in a Studio, and getting 24/7 access with their key card. Seems to be hit or miss, so I definitely wouldn't count on access if not staying in a Studio, but you might get lucky.

The spa pass price varies by cruise. If there are any still available for pre-purchase (not sold out), the option to buy them, with the price listed, will be available in your online account. If they're sold out, you can try to buy one in the spa on the first day of your cruise. In the past, they were generally $20 more onboard than the pre-pay price. Not sure if that's still the case.

We loved the ice bar ($20 per visit even if you have the beverage package but includes two drinks). Had planned on going once but went three times. Other than that, the only thing I spent money onboard for was a magnet in the gift shop. Have fun!

April 4-8 for St. Johns, MI. And I only know this because I am taking my niece on her first cruise during her spring break!

Well, there you go. I'm the one who mentioned it. It's such a small detail, but I really liked it! I was on the Jade and it's the only NCL ship I've been on so far so didn't know that wasn't a typical feature. On the Epic in March. :o Thanks for the correction--wouldn't want her cruise to be ruined when the dial/wheel wasn't there! LOL.

The Epic has the dial wheels, so you'll get to have them again. I've only been on the Epic and Pearl, and they both had them, so I assumed it was fleet wide, too! I love the wheels rather than a door hanger.

Only difference is while Carnival's card color refers to your VIFP status, NCL's card color is random UNLESS you're in a Suite/Haven.

Unless you're on a cruise with more than one embarkation point. Then your key card color corresponds with your embarkation port.

OP--what a great friend you are, lol! Hope you have a fantastic time. I've loved my two recent NCL cruises!

I've seen the prices for NCL Studios run the gamut from being maybe 20% more than the per person charge for an inside up to what you've seen. Most of the time, though, it seems like they're around 50% or so more than the inside pp charge.

I do remember that the price last July when I was booking an August W Med cruise was $859 for a studio for a 7-night sailing and $699 pp for inside, so it was a much more attractive rate than what you're seeing. Good luck!

Sure will. My friend who is crusing with me is also a first timer. We got a balcony so I hope she enjoys it. 26 days till we leave for Miami. The same week last year I cruised the Sensation. Wondering how the Victory will compare myself.

I'm also bringing a first-time cruiser on the Victory when I travel in April. Of course, it's my 14-year-old niece, so she's sure to be excited no matter what. :) Would love to read more about the ship when you get back! Have a wonderful cruise!

I had a robe in my balcony room on the Epic but did not have a robe in my mini-suite on the Pearl.