fourofakind

Take the OBC for sure! $50.00 is not bad and will get you something much nicer in the duty free shop then house wine.

2 hours ago, CarolinaMamma said:

Thanks for the info. Next question. Do you ha e to buy the internet package for people to communicate with one another via the NCL app? I am kind of looking forward to my kids NOT having internet for a week, but if they do meet friends, I want them to have a way to coordinate meetups. 

I've never purchased internet or even the app for my teen they usually just agree on a place and time to meet up the next day. And the few times he wasn't sure where everyone was he would walk around and find the group at their usual spots. No internet needed.

My teen (now 17) LOVES Entourage. He's been cruising NCL for several years with me and every cruise he meets lots of friends and has a lot of fun. The first day is super important to attend at Entourage because that's when all the teens meet and become friends. Very often they will skip going to Entourage and just all meet up at the ropes course, basketball courts, mini golf, pool etc. Every cruise it seems to happen the same way- he meets a good group of friends his age (boys and girls) and they just all make plans outside of Entourage for the remainder of the week. So Entourage is vital for the first day or two for everyone to meet but then the teens seem to enjoy making plans and meeting up outside of it. If your teen does not go on the first day they might miss out on this. The younger teens (13+) tend to all stick around Entourage and do the planned activities while the 15/16+ tend to use Entourage to meet friends and then do their own thing the rest of the week. At least that has been my experience.

Wow I am shocked and really annoyed about this. I can understand casino staff splitting it but NCL taking a cut?!?! Outrageous if true. Now I wonder how much (if any) of the DSC actually goes to the workers...

3 minutes ago, Sand and Seas said:

Are these postcards the ones that list cruises that are 6 months or less out?  (My son gets those, but for inside and no OBC).   Those sound like a pretty good deal to add to your Tier credit!

 

That's probably why I don't get them.  I usually have four cruises on the books with CAS and they are booked over 6 months out.  I should be more patient, but I just have to book another when I return from a cruise

No these are separate then those. Its just a post card that says $200 OBC plus choose any ship/ destination (excludes non casino ships). I usually have a couple on the books and still get them but your right max is 4 on the books so you probably wouldn't get them then. I try to not have more then 3 booked because if a great NCL sale comes up I want to be able to snag it(I have 4 booked now 😁) . I'm sailing April 7-14th and hoping when I come home they offer the tax free sale, definitely wanna snag that one!

7 hours ago, Casino Comp Chick said:

 

Not necessarily, we have gotten the $200 choice of obc before at different levels. We turned it down this time around because the comp level was an OV and we had a balcony comp we utilized instead. The $200 OBC was less then the upgrade fee for 2 to a balcony.

17 minutes ago, Sand and Seas said:

Interesting-  Was it an offer directly from CAS that included  $200 OBC?  I haven't seen that type of offer before.  Or is this from a land based casino? 

We once had a special Haven cruise offer from Caesars that included "300 Spa Credit", but it was treated like ordinary OBC on board.

I get those $200.00 OBC offers a couple of times a year. They come on a postcard with a free room offer and that is in addition to your tier status OBC. Last year I got one for free DSC plus $200.00 OBC in addition to tier status OBC, that was a great one! I book them all usually. So here's the thing with them, they are normally slated for OV rooms and they have the Arizona CAS # on them to call. If you call Arizona they can then call FL and get you upgraded to your normal room comp using the offer. I usually just call FL and then they automatically book you the offer based on what you qualify for not what the postcard says. Arizona can only book what the postcard says but the FL office can upgrade you (if you qualify for one).  I am sailing in May on one of these offers in a large balcony.

12 minutes ago, Casino Comp Chick said:

 

Thats just weird, I cannot say I have ever met a kids counselor on the ships. Kids aren’t allowed in the casino 😃

Thank goodness! The casino is the one place I get a little kid free time... thanks to those hard working kids counselors 😁

1 hour ago, fstuff1 said:

 

Limited edition bottles i understand but What alcohols in the duty free shop that cant be purchased in the states??

what liquor have you bought thats hard to find in the States?

 

Sheridan and Amarula. Very often they sell out on the first night of the cruise so those are usually the first I grab. If you haven't tried them they are DELICIOUS! 

Oh and Hennessy pure white that's always a good one that you can't get here.

I usually use my OBC on fancy bottles of alcohol that I wouldn't normally splurge on at home. The duty free store has a good selections of liquor that can't be purchased in the states or limited edition bottles etc.  You can also purchase cheap cigs for friends. Maybe have some fun playing in the arcade or bowling at O'Sheehan's.

Perfume, jewelry, sunglasses, watches or maybe some clothing. If you like specialty coffees from Starbucks that will come off your OBC. Tips can also come out of your OBC. Whatever I have left I usually leave to the hard working counselors at the kids club (even on cruises where I don't bring my children) those guys work hard and are not part of the DSC. If you truly can't find something to use up your OBC you can always designate it as a tip to whomever you choose.

I also use cruise next certs for my CAS bookings and I have also used them for CAS cruises that were already booked. It's done online and easy to do. After you purchase a few on your next cruise they will show up under your online account.  When making a payment towards a current cruise your cruise next certs will be one of the selections that you can click and apply as the payment.  

33 minutes ago, cruiseallways said:

Thanks for the info. First how do I contact the access desk. I measured my scooter and it 23" wide.

So now what to do?

Access Desk 866- 584-9756   Just give them a call and let them know you are bringing a scooter and may require services at some point.

11 hours ago, BlueRiband said:

Per NCL's policy:  "...if you have a motorized wheelchair or scooter, the width must not exceed 26 inches to enter the stateroom door. All scooters and wheelchairs MUST be stored in the stateroom. Due to the safety and escape way requirements established by SOLAS regulations, they cannot be stored in the hallways, stairways, or any other public area..."

 

I urge you not to show up on embarkation day with an undeclared scooter and assume that the cabin steward will figure it out.  At worst, NCL could deny you bringing the scooter on board.  At best you will be cramped in your cabin or waiting forever for somebody to bring it in the morning.  Pre-arranging this with their Access Desk will make things go much smoother. 

 

We have a poster who often claims that "most ships" will store scooters and "even charge it for you".   Some full time scooter users have replied that they would love to know which ships provide that kind of service because they have not seen it.

I can tell you from experience the 26" width thing is not correct as some doorways are smaller then that. My first cruise with her we did call the access desk and they gave us the measurement so we thought we were all good, until we showed up and our doorway was smaller then that by about 2 inches. Scooter didn't fit. Other cruises the standard doorway was correct size and she fits just fine. If not in a handicap room its always a gamble.

Room stewards wouldn't normally handle moving scooters around you have to contact guest services and they will send someone from the special needs dept to help you. I can confirm the Gem, Breakaway and Escape will store and charge scooters for you when needed and the special needs teams are excellent on NCL :)

I have taken my mom on several cruises and she uses a lightweight small portable electric scooter to get around. Although we planned on keeping the scooter in the room the door was about an inch too small for the scooter to fit through (regular room not handicap). Definitely no room in the hallways for the scooter so it has to be stored away. Guest services had us call them whenever we wanted the scooter stored and they would bring it to a back room for storage, they would also plug it in overnight and charge it up for us. When we needed it we called guest services and they would bring it to us. We kept plenty of singles on hand and would tip the person bringing/taking it from us.

Just a note of caution- bring an extra power supply for charging if you can! One night while they had it stored (and charging) they had a power surge and it fried the charger. We had to use a wheelchair the rest of the cruise for her since we couldn't charge the scooter anymore. Wheelchairs were very hard to come by since several scooters were affected by that power surge so they could only move her from point A to point B and then we would have to call again to move her somewhere else, very stressful cruise! As soon as we got home we ordered a new charger and a spare to travel with just in case. So don't get caught without a spare charger.

I was not impressed with Le Bistro or La Cucina on the Gem either but on the Escape I thought they were both very good. Le Bistro in particular is excellent and I do that one every Escape cruise. La Cucina switched up the menu and is also pretty good on the Escape. Sadly Modernos on the Escape I thought was terrible, went one time and never again. Cagneys is so so. I didn't think it was bad but nothing special to me. Teppanyaki is always a good choice, not necessarily because of the food (it's sometimes just ok sometimes very good) but the entertainment is great. The kids and I love it there. Never been to Bayamo so can't comment on that one. My rank order for Escape restaurants would be #1 Teppanyaki (for the fun), #2 Le Bistro, #3 La Cucina, #4 Cagneys, #5 Modernos

Enjoy your cruise!!!

Wondering if this package sells out, I know they say limited availability but that might be a trick to get us all to buy it quickly.

Anyone tried to buy it onboard but it was sold out? I much rather use OBC to purchase it then prepay. Thanks for an info.

Last year they were trying to change it to $30.00 for the whole session (10pm-1:00am) regardless on how long the child stayed. I cruised on the Escape after the change was made and the fee was still the same hourly fee. I don't think it worked and they are still charging the old rate. ($6.00 per hour for 1 child or 2 children for $10.00). Not many parents are willing to pay $30.00 for just an hour.

I am on the Escape again in a couple weeks and will see if the old rate is still in effect. I do know the counselors were not crazy about the change because they lose $ when no parents use the aftercare. From what they told me NCL gets half the aftercare money and the other half goes directly to the counselors. 

This is my one gripe with NCL and I have been bummed about the Splash Academy changes for a couple years now.

You will be allowed to register your children (no maximum on registration) the problem arises when you try to sign them in for certain sessions often they are already at capacity and you are turned away. Capacity changes depending on counselors, age group, space available etc. The capacity per age group is usually pretty low, like 20ish kids which is crazy considering some cruises have 1,000+ kids sailing. 

This is something new NCL has been doing and it's a bummer for those of us with children that love the program. They never used to turn kids away as they always had plenty of counselors and plenty of space and then suddenly one cruise (on the Gem) my kids couldn't get into hardly any sessions, constantly turned away. After that we switched from the smaller ships to the megaships hoping it was just a space problem and the newer ships would have more space for the kids. Our very first cruise on the Breakaway I was speaking to the counselors about the problem and they were shocked, told me we have never turned away children ever we simply open up another space with another counselor, problem solved. Perfect! That cruise was awesome and kids were welcomed into every session. A few more cruises on the Breakaway without any issues and kids had a blast. Then sadly our last Breakaway cruise we saw the dreaded capacity notice. Seems they were now making cutbacks on the megaship as well. Now every cruise we are on regardless if it's off season, spring break, holiday etc. capacity is limited. Guess this is part of the NCL cutbacks.

So to answer your question yes it's true. No need to make a bee line to register them but if you actually want to get them into any of the sessions you need to be online at least 20 mins before they open and keep your fingers crossed.

That said NCL has one of the best kids program at sea! Splash Academy is awesome and my children love it.

Enjoy your cruise!!!

Looks like all your questions were pretty much answered so I'll just throw in a few tips/ recommendations for the Escape-

1) Attend the Cruise Critic meet and greet (it's awesome in the District Brewhouse) and sign the attendance sheet with your info including cabin number. I usually receive goodies a few times throughout the week when doing so.

2) If you enjoy adult beverages the Raspberry Guava Mojito at the Sugarcane Mojito Bar is to die for!

3) Cash is fine for the casino or you can charge to your shipboard account. Fee is 3% so $3.00 for every $100.00 you charge to your account.

4) Atrium coffee bar is all Starbucks branded and has pretty much the full Starbucks menu. Great for a nice Frappuccino or Latte. Prices are about the same as any land Starbucks.  Most people don't realize it's there because it's tucked in the back corner out of the way.

5) If you are buying any alcohol in the duty free shop the first night all alcohol is 10% off! This is the only time they offer this and all the good stuff sells out early so don't wait to purchase.

6) They now have self assist easy walk off disembarkation for those that can walk off with their own luggage. Usually around 7:45 am they let those passengers walk off first with luggage before they start playing the colored luggage game. Has been very convenient for me. I'm usually outside past Customs by 8am. You need to pick up self assist tags in the atrium the day before for this option and the early times go quickly.

Enjoy your cruise!!!!

My teenage son liked the Gem but LOVED the Breakaway and Escape. So much more for him to do.

On ‎2‎/‎26‎/‎2019 at 8:36 PM, kitty-sail said:

Do you happen to remember the name of the store or a more precise location. Will be in St Kitts next month and appreciate reply.

Don't remember the name of the store but you have to walk past it as you get into the port. Once you go through the yellow arch that welcomes you to St. Kitts the store is a few steps away on your right hand side.

On ‎2‎/‎24‎/‎2019 at 11:56 AM, ziggyuk said:

Thanks all, this does give me a better idea where to look and where not to bother with.

Thanks for the help.

I think I will check St Thomas, aim to buy in St Kitts, and keep St Martin as my fall back as it's the last stop.

If I can get 2 cartons at $20 each, I will be very happy.

 

I think that's a good plan. I know some people are cautioning against the blends that are not American made but my experience from St. Kitts was good. They definitely weren't American blend but it clearly stated on the packaging the name brand and where they were made, I think it was European but I cant recall since it was almost a year ago.

I forgot to mention in my first post that although my friends said they were slightly lighter they also said that they burned better and tasted better. Wondering if the American blend maybe has some added chemical that the others don't have. Don't know but I thought it was interesting. I will definitely purchase more next time as they were well liked.

Let us know how it works out for you and enjoy your cruise!

St. Kitts hands down. I paid $18.00 a carton at a store right in the port area and I don't even smoke lol. I decided to bring a few cartons home for my friends since cartons in NY are like $100.00 each. Huge selection of name brands cigs which my friends all said were good but a little on the light side, so a Marlboro light was more like an ultra light. Maybe the regular Marlboro would be like a Marlboro light one here so just keep in mind strength may be different.

A few of the workers on the boat were getting off also to buy cigs since they were cheaper than what NCL charges them.

On ‎2‎/‎8‎/‎2019 at 11:03 PM, BirdTravels said:

How often do you cruise? 

 

The show was only installed in late April 2018. It has only been playing for 9 months. 

 Sailed on the Escape in July, September and October of 2018. I'm a cruise junkie   Will be sailing the Escape again in April and plan to see Choir of Man in the theater, will be interesting to see what (if any) changes they make to the show now that it has moved from the Supper Club to theater.

Yes OMG YES! The Breakaway seats were HORRIBLE, big ol bar sticking right into the backside. The Escape seats are comfy no worries. I think the Breakaway seats now have been changed as well. Last time I was on the Breakaway I remember commenting the seats were much better no more bar so they must have been changed.

For several cruises I never bothered seeing this show thinking it sounded lame, well last cruise my two friends wanted to see it and I figured boring but WTH I'll tag along. OMG BEST SHOW EVER!!!! I'm kicking myself that I didn't see it sooner before they changed the performers. Glad I got to see it in the Supper Club and will definitely be seeing it again in the theater in April.

Everyone thinking about seeing this DO NOT miss this show it's awesome!