ktmac1

Did you end up staying in these?  We are looking at 10346  - if its an angled balcony.

8 minutes ago, SuiteLady said:

I am sailing on the Anthem May 9th, and ran into this when I was booking this cruise....thought it was odd that it was listing the cabin, with the larger balcony, as actually SMALLER than the room with the smaller balcony!  I opted to just book a room with the standard balcony, since there are only 2 of us.  It really seemed strange to me, as the rooms do appear the same size on the deck plans.  If there is any concern, give RCI a call and see what they say...

I did actually call them - and even had the guy check with his supervisor. They maintain that the 1C category (Large balcony room) is indeed smaller  (177) than the regular 1D balcony room (198). So - not sure the large balcony is worth it.  

Also - is it better to be on the hump?  The room that has an angled balcony but still a 1D is right before the hump. 

I am resurfacing this thread as we are confused about it too! We are looking at 10172 on the Anthem - which "appears" to have a slightly larger balcony and is cheaper than the large balcony room right next to it. But - the clincher is it also says the cheaper room (10172) has 20 more sq feet.  Is it indeed a mistake? And wouldn't they have fixed it by now if it was??

That's what I'm hoping!! So strange it's just not there yet....

We were hoping to book an early November cruise from nyc but not liking our option... was hoping the escape would be there but I can’t figure out what’s its doing between its last Bermuda run late October and Miami late november.

Any insight?

Forgot to mention, we went to the melia on Bahamas day. So fun! It was quiet, pool was perfect for my age kids (we brought swimmies for the three year old and she used them every day.) there is a zero entry pool and it’s not too deep so the 6 year old was fine by herself. We got to relax. The beach was lovely and we could use paddle boards, kayaks, snorkel gear (didn’t see much snorkeling though).

On the private island we got off around 1030 and walked to the third beach (long walk with the Little’s back to buffet). Rent a raft on your way there if you are going to.

Beach was great, and much quieter. We got a covered cabana too. Lunch was bleh. But didn’t feel like walking all the way too taco bar.

There was a bar near third beach and some servers walking around.

Most nights there is at least a band, only a few nights the burn the floor dancers are there. Once in ship, you can check the schedule for future days on the iconcierge app so you can plan accordingly! It’s worth it!

:)

I really enjoyed your review. We did the same as you, Princess pre-kids, one Disney Cruise and now trying the Breakaway. We are trying a family ocean view; I wanted a tub and that porthole to sit by and watch the water. We’re bringing a portable DVD player to make up for the lack of tv options. Like you said, nice for getting ready in the evening! My LO isn’t old enough for Splash but I’m looking forward to playing with her at Guppies. We’ll be sure to request dance floor seating at MDR...when LO there be dancing/music around 5:00? My oldest will really enjoy if that’s the case. Thanks

 

 

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Why not go back to Princess ? better than NCL and cheaper than Disney ?

I would totally try it but we need either week long cruise in nov or April and princess doesn’t have it. Is it good for kids too?

Only the Breakaway and Getaway ships have tiny balconies. When Breakaway came out people were shocked and aghast with the size that they complained. Getaway was already being built so no changes could be made. Escape was built after so she got the regular sized balconies.

 

The Escape is better than the BA and GA, and I would suggest you book Escape for the Bermuda cruise out of NYC. Bermuda has great beaches and Aquarium and your kids will have a ball. The kiddo pool area on Escape is great.

 

Your comparison review is great - yes, NCL is a lot cheaper than Disney (and RCCL in some cases). We just went on our 19th NCL cruise and still enjoyed it - we knew what to get and expect, but still we had a ball. We are still afraid to try other lines .... lol ... because NCL suits us.

Thanks for the tip on Escape and the balconies! I was actually looking into that vs Anthem of The Seas as it goes to bermuda that first week in November (really the only week I feel comfortable going because less school to miss for the kids - we visit family in florida every year as well so try to avoid missing too much. And summer is not a good vacation time for us sadly.)

Just off the ship today - we sailed from NYC to the Bahamas.

Husband and I used to cruise Princess before kids and loved it - that was 10 years ago. Last cruise we took after that was Disney Dream earlier this year.

I was debating going based on the kinda crappy reviews and only booked it because of a great price (Mini-suite, for four of us, under 2700$, plus a few hundred in on board credits ($280?), 10 photo package (my favorite perk!) Unlimited alcohol (my husbands favorite perk.) 300 Gig's wireless. It was the week of teachers convention - so didn't have to pull kids out of that much school. Flying the four of us to the bahamas or Turks cost nearly as much as the whole vacation.

I think the price is important here, as comparing to disney cruise of same length, it's pretty much 1/3 of the price - and even less if you include the drinks. I had read multiple bad reviews, so I went into it expecting... well... not nearly as much as I went expecting on the Disney Cruise. And maybe that's why I was so pleasantly surprised here. Was it as good as Disney? In many ways, no, in some ways, yes. Disney has a magic factor that no one can replicate. But did my kids love NCL as well? Yes - they totally did.

Kids Club - I was shocked by this. They preferred NCL kids club! (Granted, they were 8 months older than when we did the disney cruise in February, maybe that played into it... ) but I worried about them being separated and turns out, i think they might have preferred it that way. the activities really catered to the age groups. So, this was a pleasant surprise. My 3 year old took some warming up to it but by end of cruise asked to go. They went max 2 hours a day 4x of the cruise (last day they were in the kids show so were there longer.) Other kids loved going at night but my kids were too tuckered out - we finally let them go to the pajama party last night for a bit and they loved it. But - where Disney in my opinion is way better - is they can EAT at kids club. So you can have dinner with your spouse while the kids are taken care of. I really didn't like NCL closed for meal times. It made for long lines when dropping them off, and just kinda inconvenient if you ever wanted to do a normal time date night. (You could drop them off at 7pm and go have dinner, but that wouldn't work out for my tired 3 year old.)

SO Disney wins in theory. But since my kids rarely wanted to go, NCL wins for my kids in this case.

The Entertainment.... The two NCL shows were amazing. Burn the floor and Rock of Ages. Kids couldn't see the latter, but they loved the former! But Disney has appropriately timed shows good for everyone, and the kids loved watching one before bed each night (and the free popcorn.) And obviously that disney magic factor comes into play here with the characters, meet and greats, and the TV programming (really wish NCL had a kids channel so that you could put on a show or movie for them for some downtime while getting ready for dinner. Seems like an easy thing to do. ON NCL My kids thought the NCL magician was boring - he played more for an older crowd. Singers on NCL were wonderful. We sadly didn't get to go to howl at the moon (I get why its 9pm, just wished my kids could stay up!)

So - with kids, disney entertainment. Without kids -NCL.

Service. I was expecting so much at Disney and was disappointed with servers, etc. They were just ok. Some better than others, but nothing stood out. NCL- I wasn't expecting much - and didn't get much. I don't blame the servers, I think the industry is different than back when we were on Princess. You developed a repore, they knew you were going to tip them... on NCL, you don't get slips after dinner (with the free booze package anyway) and I don't blame them for not taking the time to schmooze as 1) they are working hard already 2) they are probably not expecting people to tip them (I'm sure some do, but my guess is that when you never see the server again, you are less inclined to tip.) Our Room steward was fine - however the room steward up the hall was amazing. He always stopped to talk to my kids, and even made them extra towel animals. I want to write someone about him (forgot to when we left today.) Gotta figure out how too.

Service- Disney wins. They better at 3x the price.

Food. Hit or miss. I found a lot of it really salty for some reason. But I liked the variety - and LOVED the Manhattan room. We were seated right next to the dance floor during dinner and a Burn the Floor show was happening. It was so great- they winked at our girls, blew kisses. My kids LOVED this (so did we!) Other nights they had a singer and we could dance (Kids loved this too.) Great place to eat with kids - ask to sit near dance floor. Taste and Savor were good too - we did breakfasts there and a lunch (cajun shrimp salad was good!.) Service took a while-even when we asked if they could speed it up as my 3 year old was exhausted one night (at 6:30pm... ) Teppanaki was really fun and good. Italian was ok - but great service there (and all the specialities.) Cagneys no longer has the tomahawk. Ambiance is nice there. We didn't do ocean blue or moderno. Worst dinner was the cirque surf and turf. But I didn't care, we weren't there for the food (and the show was worth the price.) Disney has free room service - which was kinda awesome.

Pool deck - Ok, so everyone complains about the cramped pool deck on breakaway. Yup - it was busy. Super busy - our sailing had a ton of kids. And yup - hard to get deck chairs. But when one kid needs you in the pool and the other wants you up on the slides, you don't get much time to notice. Frankly - I was most surprised to find I liked the cramped pool deck that everyone doesn't like as much as I did. On Disney, only two little pools for the kids, and one was always closed. now, not sure if NCL isn't as 'clean' as Disney, but the pools were NEVER closed - and the kids loved them. And the slides were awesome for my 6 year old. Sadly we never got to do rock wall or ropes course (lines kinda long and wind closed them some times.) Mini golf was cute. Kids loved the hot tubs. If you are an adult wanting to use the hot tub, best check out the adult only deck as they were overrun with happy kids.

Outdoor Shows/Entertainment - Disney hands down. NCL seemed to have nothing fun outside for kids their age in the evening. Now obviously Disney would win this category - but this mattered the most to me. NCL could have something... like outdoor movie under the stars around 7pm (Princess did that, and I think all other lines do.) Now, maybe I missed some kid related activities on the outdoor decks at night as my kids do go to bed on early side - but I saw nothing worth keeping them awake for.

Rooms-Disney wins. The balcony on NCL is super tiny - I will never go without getting a large balcony. IT was my least favorite part. Maybe its ok with two people, but with four impossible (and two of them are well under 50lbs.) Disney also has a separator curtain you can close when the kids go to sleep. Makes a big difference!

NCL room itself was very nice though - no complaints there. Mini-suite bathroom is nice and big. But next time I'd go large, balcony room and forgo the mini-suite.

Decor and General Feel - Breakaway is crowded. Not so bad when its warm out - but tons of people. That said I thought crowds were handled well (except maybe at restaurants where the service was so slow.) Pretty ship, but Disney was WAY more attractive. Like others, I didn't love the location of the casino on NCL and it was smokey. I was prepared of the smokiness thanks to all the reviews though.

WE had awesome weather and getting on/off ship was just fine (takes a while to get to private island as you have to tender, but so worth it!) We got on the ship around 1pm and the line was ok by then - got off easy this morning.

I feel like I have been rambling but I won't return to disney cruise (I kinda like the parks better anyway) and I would totally go on NCL again at this price point. Disney is not even worth double let alone triple the cost.

But I also wouldn't mind paying a little more and getting better service - some more activities for kids (like outside movies!) and better beer (forgot that there are no craft beers.) So we may try Royal Caribbean next out of NJ (nothing beats getting on vacation in an hour and not having to fly!)

Sorry - long winded. But hopefully this helps someone with little kids!

i totally forgot what we picked as far as dining and now can’t find any info (didn’t realize edocs would disappear.)

Am I going to have problems getting on? We leave today.

Thank you everyone! We are excited to leave a week from today!

I will be on the Breakaway in 3 weeks with my 3 year old. I can report back on some of this. We will not be bringing her to burn the floor or Cirque but can let you know about other family friendly activities that they have. We are hoping that she will do splash a decent amount. It will be her first time being able to go to the kids club but she is now in daycare and preschool so we think she may enjoy it.

 

I do believe that there is a ropes course for the younger kids. I can report back on how that is. From pictures I've seen it looks like it is more like a jungle gym type thing you would see at a playground.

 

Let me know if you have anything in particular that you want me to try to find out for you.

Looks like I'll be able to do the same for you. We go on the sailing the week before! :) I didn't know there was a little kids ropes course. They will love that. I'll let you know how the 4 year old handles Burn the Floor. I have high hopes!

I booked Burn the Floor (think they'd be into that) - and Cirque. Heard to be on the look up for some shows I can't pre-book. Any not to miss for this age? The little one is quite brave but has a weird random fear of anyone in a mask. She's cool with creepy witches but man if Peter Rabbit hops her way she does her best ostrich impersonation and won't pick her head back up till she's certain the coast is clear.

They won't like the really big slides - but the splash pool slide won't hold their interest long. Are there any in-between options?

Are there other activities we should look to do? I heard rock climbing. The 6 year old loves it at birthday parties - not sure if this is more intense.

It's going to be a crazy busy kids week because I'm traveling from NYC on NJ teachers convention break. So if there are activities they are old enough for, would like to plan ahead and figure out good times to check them out.

Any evening activities? I know Disney had some shows and fireworks and things on occasion on the top decks. They normally go to bed early but... it is vacation. ;)

I know there is Splash Academy but even on the Disney cruise they weren't huge fans of being there long, plus in this one they can't be together (which will be a problem for them) but quite frankly we are kinda looking forward to hanging out with them while they still think we are cool. Or at least I keep telling myself that in anticipation that we won't be able to unload them. ;)

Thanks in advance!

Traveling in less than 2 weeks with my family (kids 3 and 6) - wondering about wait times for main dining rooms? Can we call ahead? We'll be eating on the earlier side (6ish) I suspect!

I have a follow up to this - I have 100 minutes free or something like that. Does that mean I don't want to connect to the ships wifi until i'm ready to use my minutes?

So maybe plan 15 minutes at the end of each day to get messages, emails etc?

We were on the 10/8 sailing as well. I will say that we are 1st time NCL cruisers (having been on a Disney Cruise 2yrs ago). Nothing, and I mean Nothing will ever compare to the service & food quality of Disney. So, needless to say, this was disappointing for us. We were in the Haven and it was perfect for not having to wait in line & go through the nightmares of waiting etc. We were off the ship at 7:45 this morning. It was very choppy and I ended up sick almost the entire vacation. There just wasn't a wow factor with food or service...even in the haven. I'm sad & shocked to even have to say that. I'm working on an indepth review & have already put up some Youtube videos of our room, etc.

I"ve cruised Princess without kids, NCL without kids, and Disney with kids. Disney was ok - but for the price, man was I expecting more as far as food quality, service. But it did have Elsa, and I loved the shows (and loved that my 3 and 5 year old could go to them and enjoy them as well.) But aside from that, it was ok. Girls didn't love their famed kids club either - which was a bummer.

So now I've got my expectations in check as we sail for a full week on Breakaway in a mini-suite with free drinks (and the same package as OP) for less than what it would cost to do a 3 nighter on Disney with no alcohol (and yes, that adds up for us!). So, this time I'm managing my expectations. But if they throw one of my suitcases over I"ll be pissed.

Enjoyed the review! We go in a few weeks - but you must be a pretty easy going person. 100$ for a suitcase full of stuff? I would die! (Or they would, when I calculated what was in my suitcase!)

Wondering why most of these cabins are still available on my November cruise? I love a large baloney - I think these are towards the front of the ship. Is that a bad location on floor 9? (I think near the promenade, maybe? )

We aren't flying in - and we don't need to be on the ship right away. Is there a "better" time frame to avoid super long lines?

So husband and I would like to try one of the nicer places for dinner - but my girls (3 and 6) will need to be in the kids club, and it's closed from 5 -7. I heard on port days, you can pay 6$ for babysitting and it doesn't close - so thinking the Port Canaveral night could be good night for our dinner?

I'm sure many parents put their kids in the club just fine after 7pm, but my kids go to bed at 7pm! (Yes, I know, vacation... but up late, alone at kids club... might not be ideal if we want them in good moods the next day - plus we'd like to keep them up with us for some fun family stuff so trying to limit the late nights.)

Oh - and speaking of late nights - can I bring them to Burn the Floor? (I know not rock of ages.) They love theater and dance but not sure of run time for the 7pm show and if its ok for kids.

My kids are small - so I'm sure they would fit fine. Just surprised they would allow it (I tried to switch from a mini suite without a tub to one with a tub, but they wouldn't let me because the tub ones slept 3... )

Of course, I know my chances are slim anyway as bidding on an upsell, but if I do happen to get it I don't want to regret spending the money!

My thread is confusing. I am in a mini-suite- and considering an upsell to Haven forward balcony. But wondering what the sleeping arrangements are for that room. Seems like they mostly sleep 3 but we are 4. I imagine it has to be an option or we wouldn't have been given the chance but hope its a comfortable option!

I had an offer to upgrade my family of four to this room (H7) - But in all the cruises I've looked at, it says it only sleeps 3? Seems like there is one that sleeps four but it's booked on our cruise.

Why would we be given this as an option? Just wondering if I should be bidding on a different room if I'm hoping for Haven.