Seminole1975

On the Getaway they are using the Illusionarium to perform Broadway Unplugged 

Haven guests also have hot tubs in the courtyard. 

45 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

If you move from a Spa cabin, which comes WITH Spa access, going to another cabin type, you lose the Spa Perk.  However, if you book a Haven Spa Suite, that would include spa access.

 

In brief, Spa Cabins get access to the Thermal Spa.  Non-Spa cabins, do not, unless you pay for it.

True, as I mentioned I moved from a spa cabin to a non spa cabin. Thanks for the clarification. 

On 6/29/2023 at 7:31 AM, Treasure Hunter said:

You get all your original perks plus standard Haven perks like butler concierge Royal treatment wonderful restaurant etc. only get alcohol package if it was part of your original perks

Except for the spa. We were in a spa Balcony non-haven and upgraded to the Forward Facing Aft Suite Haven for an August cruise in the Mediterranean . I was told that we would lose our thermal spa privileges. We are going places where it will be extremely hot, so I figured we could use the hot tubs in the Haven if we needed to. I personally think we should have been able to keep the thermal spa privileges (my DH likes it), but oh well. 

I too think that it would be worth it to upgrade to the Haven. My fav perk is being escorted off the ship and not have to wait in a line. This is nice in a port intensive cruise. We were in the Haven on a Baltic Cruise and it was fantastic!

On 6/29/2023 at 6:30 PM, mconthehighseas said:

I have two more butler questions.

Do we get escorted to special Haven and/or suite seats at the shows, or do we have to hope our room keys will give us access?

And about how many cabins does a butler have to care for?

 

Our cruise is getting close, and I am having trouble remembering everything I read - stress and excitement will do that!

We have never been escorted to the theater for MDQ or Burn the Floor on the Getaway. My choice. The Haven has reserved seats and they are marked off.  I just went to the theater and seated myself. Sometimes you can find better seats elsewhere.

Just wanted to pop in and say how much I am enjoying this thread. I am currently on page 12! We upgraded to the Haven last week on our Mediterranean cruise this August on the Getaway. This will be our third time in the Haven.  Our experiences have been great! I am already composing a letter to the Butler and plan on giving him or her some of the tip up front. Thanks for all of the great "tips". Carry on!

This may be somewhere in the 87 pages, but what is a ballpark figure on what to tip the butler? I can't remember. 

42 minutes ago, Seminole1975 said:

It’s been a few years since I have cruised NCL. 1. Can you request a coffeemaker in your room when you check in at 21 days or do you have to wait until you arrive? 
2. Do any of the cabins have coffeemakers automatically or have they been taken out altogether? We are in a spa balcony looking to upgrade to the Haven. We enjoy a cup of coffee when we are getting ready in the morning. 

I saw an earlier quote that said coffee makers were in balcony’s and above. 

It’s been a few years since I have cruised NCL. 1. Can you request a coffeemaker in your room when you check in at 21 days or do you have to wait until you arrive? 
2. Do any of the cabins have coffeemakers automatically or have they been taken out altogether? We are in a spa balcony looking to upgrade to the Haven. We enjoy a cup of coffee when we are getting ready in the morning. 

On 3/29/2023 at 5:56 PM, amygutman said:

Decaf? Oh. Dear. Sweet. Lord. 

I am with you Amy!

7 hours ago, insidecabin said:

Those lectures go down well.

Funny!

10 minutes ago, The Traveling Man said:

As I recall, JP's mom called him Jimmy.  He was Jerry Lee Lewis, correct?  James, in addition to doing a terrific impression of Johnny Cash, is a dyed-in-the-wool Beatles aficionado and a world class expert on all things related to the Titanic.

Yes those are the ones. This cast got onboard first of May. James gives lectures on the Titanic which I find ironic considering he is working on a cruise ship! 🤣

1 hour ago, The Traveling Man said:

Is James still playing Johnny Cash and is Jimmy still Jerry Lee Lewis?

JP and James 

15 hours ago, UKstages said:

"the price is right" is a very slick, very well produced game show with high production values, but it is not professional show business cruise ship entertainment. 

I agree. I love the theater, not the game shows. Game shows would not be a selling point for us, but I know some people love them. 

6 hours ago, reporterbabe said:

My daughter tells me that performers are avoiding Norwegian, in part because they have very strict daily weigh-ins (you’re out if you gain five pounds) and not the best working conditions.

If you can get the talent, why even try for the best shows?

I guess it would depend on the show. Definitely not true for MDQ. As long as you can fit in your costume you are ok. 😂

3 hours ago, SakeDad said:

Especially after Covid when they were not allowed off the ship  ports for weeks at a time!! Travel is no longer a benefit of the job if you can't see anything!!

So true! Things have loosened up a bit now however. 

11 minutes ago, coffeebean said:

Which ship has Burn the Floor? I saw that show on a couple of different NCL ships several years ago. The cast gave an up close and personal show in the main dining room that has a dance floor. I believe the restaurant is The Manhattan. Our seats were ringside for the show. I was in awe of the talent and the absolutely fabulous dancing. Such a great memory of our NCL Epic cruise.

I know for a fact the Getaway has Burn the Floor, but not sure if any of the other ships have it.

2 hours ago, amygutman said:

@Seminole1975 Oh my word! Your son played Carl Perkins? Dyanne is his real-life wife? Wow!!! I know you probably have heard this a million times but they are so incredibly talented. Our whole family loved this show and the entire theater could not get enough. 

Please pass on to them they have new found fans in Orlando and cannot praise them enough for an amazing show. Best show at sea (and yes...I LOVE Choir of Men, but the Quartet just rocked our world).

Warmest, Amy

Awwww. Thank you. 

5 minutes ago, Sand and Seas said:

Your son and daughter-in-law are awesome!  We were on Getaway in late May and absolutely loved MDQ and Broadway Unplugged.  Such a talented cast😊

Thanks! They on are the Getaway from May to end of September I think.Can't wait to get on the beautiful Getaway again! 

16 minutes ago, swmichigan cruiser said:

If I remember correctly wasn't your son Carl Perkins on the Getaway? If so what is he doing now? MDQ was my favorite show on NCL but now Choir of Man beats it out slightly.

He is currently back on the Getaway playing Carl Perkins (and understudy Burn the Floor and in Broadway Unplugged) with his new wife who is playing Dyanne. (They met on the Getaway in MDQ!) We are going to see them in August. They decided to go on one more adventure since this contract goes to Europe. They had a hard time during COVID when all theater shut down for a year. They both tried other jobs to make do (due?) and decided that performing was what they loved best. They have some land jobs lined up after this contract is over. Thanks for asking.

2 hours ago, amygutman said:

It's interesting to watch the vlogs of cruise ship crew and performers. I am not sure what kind of job one can get as an ice skater (or high-diver / swimmer) if not coaching or performing on ships, travelling shows, etc. It's a heck of a financial / time investment though which other than the love of the sport, does not appear to be financial lucrative.

I found this posting re: cruise ship performer salaries / benefits and the salary seems to be in-line what vloggers have alluded to: https://www.cruiselinejob.com/entertai.htm

That being said, I have done many physicals on cruise ship performers who state that it's not necessarily the money, but the fact that it's a gateway to an Equity card which allows them to get paid a higher salary on land, and open up auditions limited to "professional" performers. The money? One performer told me that his 20K job (7 days a week, multiple performances during the day) paid more in one year than he had made the previous 3 on land (but less than being a waiter). He worked in the shops on the ship in his off-hours for commissions. He was very proud though of being a "working actor" whereas many of his friends were unemployed. 

Warmest, Amy

I think that is great, but some shows are more difficult to cast than others. With Million Dollar Quartet for example, not just anyone can perform Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis, Carl or Johnny Cash. They must be a triple threat: be able to play the instrument, sing and act.  Also they are understudies for the Burn the Floor Singers. Elvis is the understudy for Burn the Floor singer. If he can't sing the music, then it falls on Carl Perkins who ends up doing 8 shows a week until they can hire someone else. Now they are also all in Broadway Unplugged, which I hear is wonderful, but that is two more shows a week.  Dyanne (Elvis' girlfriend) is the understudy for the Burn the Floor female singer and vice versa. I personally would not want to be the NCL casting director. And if you break the rules, you are fired immediately and the others might have one or two days to cover for you to avoid canceling the show. I have great admiration for these folks and their talents.

1 hour ago, tetleytea said:

 

I'm sure cancelling the shows has more to do with the cast than it does the audience.

 

 

It’s hard sometimes to get actors who will leave home for six months and who can adapt to ship life. 

Oh and don’t forget about Burn the Floor. It’s still there. 

Beetlejuice is going to the VIVA per an article from NCL

We will be going to that port in August. 

I have found a very helpful website call Whatsinport.com. It has information on 1200 ports.

The address in Provence/Marseile looks like Place de la Joliette, Marseille. 

It says that you will need to take a shuttle into town. There is a shuttle at the port. It is too far to walk into town. That website has tons of information. Hope this helps.