Sofla1

Greetings,

We are planning to sail on the Ascent April 2024 Transatlantic. The Ocean View cabins are an amazing value. Question for those who have sailed on deck 3 on the Beyond: is proximity to Grand Plaza/Martini Bar likely to be a huge noise issue? We are not opposed to a bit of noise but loud bass at 1AM may be a deal breaker. TIA for responses. 

BTW, I received an email confirmation of the Cruise With Confidence cancellation but have been on hold now for 35 minutes trying to confirm this because I'm still getting updates on nthe sailing including a two hour delay in arrival time. Hmmmm - I thought all possible precautions were already being taken? 

I'm frankly surprised that you would still be considering taking the cruise as a person working in the medical field. I'm a healthcare professional and cancelled a Jan 3 sailing a couple of days ago after the CDC put out their statement. Who wants to deal with this on vacation and run the risk of being quarantined in your room??? Not me. 

On 8/27/2019 at 5:09 PM, gmbhardy said:

I also had the surf and turf on the Breakaway last week. I agree with the OP, it wasn’t very good. The lobster was mushy and the steak over cooked. I also had the surf and turf at Ocean Blue. The lobster tail was a bit better but this time my steak was under cooked. Instead of cooking me another steak they microwaved it. It was absolutely awful. I complained but at this point my wife had finished her meal and since it was the last night of the cruise there was really no sense in requesting some form of compensation.

We are sailing on the Breakaway and on NCL for the first time in October and would appreciate some dining tips. We have Cagneys, Le Bistro (I think that's the name) and Moderno booked for the specialty dining. Wondering about the three included dining options Manhattan Room, Savor and Taste. Have heard not so great things about the Breakaway in general but hoping for the best and plan to go in with a positive attitude! 

Any tips are appreciated. 

10 hours ago, YankeesFan4Life said:

 

OMG I am SO sorry! I thought it felt a little pretentious when I wrote that LOL!  Actually, there are some higher priced Prosecco's out in the market, but none more than $20-$25.  I really feel bad how that came out!  I'm in the wine business, so looking and complaining about pricing, especially in restaurants and on the ship is one of my things....But the Prosecco they use on board, they also use for their mimosa's, FYI

Hey, I'm a NYer too so I just call it as I see it. No hard feelings! Is it really crappy prosecco? It says it's dry which is a good sign the really awful ones are sweet. I like prosecco in general. I'm not too knowledgeable about wine - I know enough to bring a Pinot Noir to Thanksgiving if I want to drink a red but I don't get chocolate or berries ever from my red wine!! LOL

3 hours ago, YankeesFan4Life said:

Prosecco would never be $16.95

 Prosecco SHOULD never be $16.95 but with these riduculous packages one never knows. Looks like I'll be slumming with the prosecco. BTW, thanks for the response but it could have been less passive aggressive such as "$10.95". LOL

On 7/16/2019 at 12:12 PM, smplybcause said:

 

This is just the generic wine list. Other venues have more wine options, and it's not the dinner menu wine list which denotes which bottles you can get for free. 

Can't see the price on the Prosecco up at the top of the Whites list. Is that $10.95 or $16.95? TYIA

Thank you for your insight and for taking the time to write this. Very helpful.

Let me start by saying we have been cruising for forty years on over 100 cruises (far more then 1000 days on ships) on 14 cruise lines (the 15th is booked) and over 60 different ships (we have lost count). When you ask about "loyalty" we are already 5 Star Mariners with HAL, Elite with Princess, Elite Plus with Celebrity, Diamond with RCI, Black with MSC, etc. So we do have a good idea about the perks.

 

The shocker is that we are not "Loyal" to any cruise line, cruise agency, travel agency, etc. We simply follow the same philosophy we have had for forty years. We shop around (among cruise lines and cruise agencies) for the best deals. We also book some cruises because we love the itinerary (these cruises can be expensive). We now are retired and cruise 70-100 days a year and have 5 cruises under booking with 4 different cruise lines.

 

I tell you this not to boast, but to establish my bona fides....and say that we think "loyalty" is total bunk! I am not going to book an expensive cruise because the line gives me a few hundred internet minutes, a free stocked mini-bar, etc. And my ego does not need to be stroked by being invited to special parties (which we usually avoid), a silly tin Medallion (HAL has these), pins, etc.

 

So here is a fact. The cruise industry, cruise lines, ships, perks, etc. are dynamic (they are always changing). We used to be big fans of RCI (our daughter was Diamond before age 17)....but now avoid that line like the plague (we think they should rename one of their ships the "Plague of the Seas."). At one time we liked Princess, stopped cruising with them because of cut-backs and changes, and are now back cruising them because we think they learned the error of their ways, We have been big fans of Celebrity for the past decade, but our upcoming 21 day Celebrity cruise may be our last (with that line) unless they quickly reverse their negative plunge into the abyss.

 

My advice to the OP is to not overthink the issue of loyalty. Book each cruise (one at a time) because it meets your needs and wants...and then reexamine your needs and wants before booking the next cruise (or another travel option). Not only do the cruise lines change...bus so does the customer.

 

Hank