Sailing12Away

In Kauai and Maui you have overnight stops, so if you planned something on day 1 would the group feel better about it not being an NCL sponsored tour? Since you have over 24hrs to get back to the ship in case something happens. We rented a car in Maui. When you get off the ship there are several transfer buses right there to catch a bus to the car rental place. Got a jeep for the 4 of us and we drove halfway to Hana, over to the Maui brewery, all over the island, and ended up top at Haleakala to watch the sunset. Drove back to the car drop off then it was easier for us to take an Uber back to the ship. Not sure how late the transfer buses run to bring you back. On Kauai we did a private tour with these folks. They will take you anywhere you want to go. https://www.hawaiianphotos.net/Kauaitours.htm

So you're saying the deck plan which shows on deck 11 a sauna & steam rooms does not actually exist?

That's odd, we have always done this every time we dine there. 8 items for the 2 of us is just way too much food. Last trip was on Prima and hubby & I went once and got 4 items, then we went back again and took my sister & BIL and got 8 items for the 4 of us. No issues at all. If you're a Haven guest, yes. You can order through your butler and they'll bring it to your cabin. Or if you catch Covid on a trip and are in quarantined lockdown in your room, yes, they will bring it to you. Not sure about regular healthy non-Haven folks though. Some kind of roll.... (I don't eat sushi so have no idea what hubby ordered) Korean Fried Chicken Peruvian Beef Skewers Pork something or other... Another sushi thing with my sister Thai chicken lettuce wraps Fried shishito peppers (they've prepared them differently every single time we order them, first photo is the more recent one from Prima, second photo of the deep friend wiener looking things is from 2022) Dumplings Tijuana street fries

They don't always reach out. If there's something specific you want taken care of before you get on board (dining reservations, requests for the beds to be made up a certain way, extension cord & DI water for a CPAP....) then reach out to them yourself. If it's just to request gummy bears and M&Ms, wait until you're on board and talk to the butler directly. Any requests going to the pre-cruise concierge desk go to corporate. They just forward that on to the ship directly, so things can get lost in the shuffle. If you're in an owner's suite or 3br villa, you have an extra letter they can send to you with special requests for liquor & soda in the cabin. But if you're in a regular cabin, better to just wait for most things.

Depends on the ship, and even then it will depend. Some trips have been a 'tap and go' for the cabin doors and at disembarking at ports. Other times they had to swipe the card to get back on the ship. I'm a fan of the tap & go, so when that system stops working it's a pain to now have to pull the card out of the wallet while juggling armfuls of beach bags, gifts, water bottles, etc.

It's a loaded question and not an easy straight forward answer. We sailed in September to Iceland. So cold rainy weather for most of the trip. And we booked one of the elusive hot tub Haven cabins, and paid an egregious amount of money for that hot tub. On our trip, we were not allowed to use the hot tub once. So we have a very sour taste in our mouth from that trip based on what we paid, what we expected, and what we actually experienced. So on a black and white where I have to make a choice, no, we would not sail on Prima again. However, if it was a warm weather sailing and I was able to get a Haven cabin for <$500/pp/night, I would consider it. Or a great price on a club balcony or non-Haven suite, I would consider it. But no, I would never intentionally seek out a Prima/Viva cruise unless it was a steal of a price. The ship was pretty, but just felt poorly executed in a bunch of things. I'm hoping they keep tweeking for Aqua and beyond, but for now we'll stick with the breakaway plus class ships or go where the prices point us for a better value trip.

TSA pre check & Global Entry are worth their weight in gold. The simple fact that I don't have to take laptops out, shoes off, belt off for hubby, etc - that alone is worth it to us. Our last trip we were flying on Thanksgiving, so gave ourselves a bit more time than normal just in case. Didn't need it, still through security as fast as I could walk through the Disney queue to get to it. For anyone who travels at least once a year, we always push friends and family to just get it. Took the air train to JFK for the in person interview, then an Uber back home. Lasts for 5 years, and for the renewal we didn't even have to go back for another interview, just submitted the request online and a week later had the new card in hand. My credit card gives it to me for free, so it's $100 every 5 years for the 2 of us to save countless hours and headaches at the airports.

Hi neighbor. If we're catching an early flight before the Belt is a nightmare we're from the front door of our house to the gate of the plane in about 40 mins using Uber/Lyft. Faster if we're not having a mile long hike at terminal 4. We get spoiled with the flight options over here, have very rarely had to endure a 'bad' flight time.

Belkin is the local stuff, it's decent.

The links to the flyers seem to be 404, but maybe if you check back later they'll be fixed? https://www.ncl.com/onboard-packages/beverage-packages There's clickable links to the flyers under each package (the regular free at sea one vs the premium plus upgraded one) and they will usually tell you the specific brands of liquor included with each package for free. Some folks are particular about the brand of liquor in their drinks, and for them it's 'worth it' to pay for the upgrade. Some folks love their Starbucks mochafrapamachiwhatever some they get extra value from getting 1-2 of those a day. Some folks realllllly love botted water and find value in having those free to them. Some folks don't want to have to think about any prices at all and want the convenience of getting what they want without extra fees. And then there's folks like me who when on a cruise tend to stick with cocktails because at home we're too lazy to whip out 3 different bottles and mixers and shakey shakey shake. If it's mixed in a cocktail, the choice of liquor isn't as important to me as when I'm having something neat or on a rock. And when the time calls for that rock, I'm fine paying the difference as I go.

Our first time there we did an eco tour and saw monkeys. Second time there we called it a simple pool day and just hung out in the sun for a while before going back on the ship where the food and drinks were free.

If you need laundry before it's officially announced, just inquire at guest services. You can also do more than 1 bag at that price. On Prima in September, we had free laundry due to our status, but my sister and her family of 4 did not. So even though the bag is decent sized (think of a small tote bag you would use at the grocery store maybe? More tall than wide though.), when you're doing wash for 4 people it fills up quick. I had told her about the special, she asked guest services when it would be offered, they gave her a second bag and told her to just write $29 Special on the top of the slips and it would be honored that day for both bags. She did one that day as we had come in a day early for our Iceland trip, and then a second bag later in the trip.

It honestly depends on the embarkation port. When we did our Canada trip leaving out of NY we had a ton of stuff with us as we didn't have to fly anywhere. Had some in our checked bags, some in our carry on. Went through security and they didn't say a word to us. At other ports we've had it in our checked bags and I usually wrap a note around the bottles saying "we've got the drink plan, please don't take my wine" partly as a joke, and partly being serious. They'll check for themselves anyway, but we've never had an issue or had to declare anything at embarkation. At the ports of call, when coming back on the ship they'll stop you to see your room key to confirm you have the package, and then you keep going on your way. Only the liquor bottles will be held at ports of call if you purchase any on land. Wine and beer are yours to take to the room.

Depends on where you are and what you plan on doing. If we're getting off in an area with a decent city and plan to just walk and wander, we'll bring a small wallet with minimal cash, drivers license, one credit card, and the ship card. Phone for navigating and taking photos, and if it's a safe area that is scenic I'll bring my regular camera with small camera bag. Everything else stays in the safe (other credit cards, bank card, insurance cards, etc etc). If we're doing a beach or snorkeling trip, we have a small backpack that squishes up in our suitcase when not in use that we bring with a towel, bottle of water, sunscreen, snorkeling mask, etc. Read the dailies the night before to see what they say you need for the port in general, and look at all the details on your excursion tickets if you booked through NCL. When it says you need a passport - you must have a passport. We did a trip in Spain that took us to Gibraltar and you had to have a passport when you crossed the border. First stamp I have from crossing on foot 😁

Might involve some pineapples....

It depends on so many factors, which is why you can ask 2 people who were on the same exact sailing what they thought and still get 2 completely different opinions on the trip. Our first Haven experience was on the Jade (similar to your Pearl) in a deluxe owners suite. We were very unimpressed and confused by all the folks raving about "once you go Haven you never go back". Bad butler, not a "real" Haven ship, lack of knowledge on our part about what is/isn't normal, best way to escalate things when they go astray.... Learned a lot from the folks in here to know that our experience was the exception and not the norm, and then our 2nd Haven trip was on the Epic. So similar to yourself with experiences. Got a 2br Haven room at a steal of a price and moved from our club balcony into the Haven and we saw what we were missing on the Jade. We had an amazing bartender Erwin who made the trip for us. Custom cocktails each night, motley crew of new cruise friends gathering around the bar each night (Kansas City!), magic shows, napkin roses.... it was divine. Fast forward a few years and we'll be taking our 9th Haven trip in <20 days - also on the Epic. We're not in the camp of Haven or Bust, but when the price is where we're comfortable spending we will book it. Jewel class ships would have to really be free as I think we're done with those unless it's the 3br villa - otherwise it's a better value to us to do a non-Haven suite on those ships. Epic we have no problem with, it's quirky but you can get great prices which make it easier to overlook some of the flaws. Prima for us was probably a one and done, again, unless the price was an egregiously good deal which will be a few years for Prima/Viva/Aqua. Before you swear off Haven completely, look into one of the Breakaway Plus class of ships. Joy is our favorite, Encore, Bliss..... those offer a great Haven experience. I think you would enjoy the large forward facing observation lounges. There's one for everyone on deck 15, and another one just for Haven guests on deck 17 just past the Haven pool and courtyard. Large open quiet space to relax, read, play a game. They have snacks set up in there throughout the day, self serve fancy coffee machine, and wait staff to come and take drink orders or small lunch snacks as well. Epic also underwent a dry dock rehaul during Covid. Trying to find some of our older photos because the recent ones I've seen of the pool area look completely different. The pool area looks to be completely outdoors now, when we remember it having a covered glass room. So not sure if we're just remembering it wrong, or if that was part of the changes. So no need to sit by Posh when you have a huge pool deck with sun just for Haven guests.

Call me crazy, but not sure why you would expect a Haven experience on a ship that doesn't even have a Haven? Not all NCL ships are built the same, and not all suites are Haven suites. Star does not have a Haven at all. No private restaurant, no private pool, no private sundeck.... The 3br villa is beyond amazing and becomes your own Haven oasis, but it is not a Haven room, not a Haven ship, and not a Haven experience. The transfer is interesting, as they're not openly upfront about offering it. When we were in the villa we were casually talking to the concierge about disembarkation and whether they thought it would be easy to get a taxi at the port to bring us to our London hotel. They did not immediately tell us about the perk of a free ride into city center, but we did eventually get it.

15 day Panama Canal trip we did had a daily special for lunch & dinner (not sure about breakfast, we rarely eat in the restaurant for that when we can eat in our PJs in the cabin) for both the appetizer and entree. Don't get too excited, it's usually just one of the courses being served in the MDR that they're making available as an option for you. What you're describing sounds like the paella although I don't recall it ever being served with swordfish. With enough advanced notice, you can ask the concierge to pre-order something like that for you to eat at the restaurant at a set day/time and if the chef is agreeable, they can accommodate. Or, talk to your butler. Again the key is advanced notice. You can't call them at 4pm and request a special paella meal to be prepared for you to eat at 6pm that same day. With advanced notice and a kind request (rather than demand) you'll be amazed what they can finagle to make a guest happy.

We had the 3br villa on the Star for our Spain trip a little while back (14500). Won it as a last minute upgrade bid, and it was just the 2 of us in the villa. It was amazing. One of the few rooms on an NCL ship that has a microwave. So go ahead and let the butler bring your leftover pizza from La Cucina back to the room for you and you can heat it back up late at night. Pro tip: When you get to the cabin, just double check all the exterior doors to make sure they're locked. While they're cleaning and turning it over for new guests the doors are sometimes left unlocked. Every time we've had the villa we've found random strangers wandering around in the sundeck area because they got in from the next door public space through an unlocked door. Even though it says "Villa guests only" people were "curious" and got nasty and rude with me when I told them it was a private room and they had to leave. In the outdoor picture with the dining room table, that door straight ahead with the small round window - that's the one to check. It leads to the basketball court and should be locked....

Joy is great, you'll have the Haven restaurant for all 3 meals. You also have the large observation lounge in the front of the ship just for Haven guests - there is a self serve fancy coffee machine in there. Get your drink in a regular mug then transfer to your yeti. Depending on what type of drink you're looking to get, the bartenders may be willing to fill it up for you. But if the bar is crowded, please don't be 'that' person who slows down the works for the rest of us thirsty alcoholics on board. If you're big coffee drinkers, just have a chat with your butler when you get on board. You can set a time each morning/afternoon/5x per day where they come and drop off a carafe or french press for you in the room. Rooms have the nespresso pod things - again, just tell them your preference for the regular or darker roast pods and they'll bring you 20 if you need them and wanted to do it yourself.

OP here isn't looking at bidding into Haven, just moving from an inside to a balcony or club balcony. Having said that, we too have put in the max bid for the best Haven rooms knowing that if we won it would still be at a discount and was 'worth it' to us. Most times we don't win, but that one time we did we lived like royalty. Granted, it wasn't a Haven room as it was on the Star, but it was a 3br villa for just the 2 of us, and it was fabulous.

Yup, the advertised wait times are not really accurate, but I guess they're taking the approach of the airlines and overestimating the wait so you're pleasantly surprised when it comes earlier. Plus maybe a sneak trick to sucker folks into paying for the expedited service when it's really not needed.

Depends on a lot of factors. In the Club Balcony room you also get a free bag of laundry. Not worth $150, but a nice to have. You'll also get some snacks 1-2x during the trip in your room, like chocolate covered strawberries and things like that. Again, not a $150 value, but a nice to have. You can put in bids for both the regular balcony as well as the club balcony room. Maybe put a more generous bid for the regular balcony and a lower offer on the club - if you manage to get the club at the super discount price (compared to what it would cost to outright move into that room) then it may be 'worth it' to you.

See if this link is working... keeps timing out on me, but if it doesn't load you can search the NCL website for "upgrade advantage" - that's the name of the program. They have a FAQ which might help explain the process. https://www.ncl.com/content/upgrade-advantage-faq

You'll get conflicting stories and experiences on this one. It honestly depends on the port that you're embarking from, how crowded it is at the time you want to 'just show up', and any other extenuating circumstances. There are folks who are adamant that if you're in Haven you can just show up whenever you want. I have never had that experience. Sailing out of Seattle for an Alaska trip we weren't even allowed inside the terminal building until we were within 15 mins of our printed time on the edocs. This was shortly after the Covid reopening though, so maybe it's lessened up since then. But then we had the embarkation nightmare from hell when we did our PC trip out of LA last year. Massive flooding from unprecedented rain storms, with thousands of folks standing in the rain for hours trying to get inside the terminal building. So it didn't matter that we were Haven guests, we had to wait for hours on line outside in the rain to get into the building and begin check in. Once you're actually inside, past security, and checked in - as soon as the ship is cleared to take on new passengers you will be the first ones allowed on board. But it's that whole process before then which is the big unknown.