complawyer

we were on a b2b last year, and i got the package on both legs. the cocktail party was poorly attended, but i think  your philosophy is 100%

schmoopie, i am very disappointed in you (not that you would care either way) NCL or any other company or organization doesnt owe us a thing. it's been over 50 years since i got out of the army. the package, and the cocktail party was a nice gesture. it may not have been much but ncl did give recognition to past and present service people. accept it as such.

it's much better then a stick in your eye. by the way, my wife always gets mad at me when anyone says "thank you for your service" as i invariably reply "dont thank me, i was drafted"

by the way. on both legs of our cruise, the party lasted at least 30 minutes. 

as the goodie package and the cocktail party was  unexpected there was nothing to be disappointed about.

so what do you want? a rubber beesquit?

graphic guy, on prior cruises, we also had pizza in naples just outside of pompeii, got  to ride in a gondola in venice (on my bucket list) and rode an elephant in Bangkok.

my wife and i may be old, but to quote the beach boys, "we get around" 

smilegirls children may still be a little young to fully appreciate this cruise, but it's great that she's giving them the opportunity at a young age. when my grandson was in jr high, he was studying world history. we took him on out cruise and one of the ports was Athens. our tour went to the acropolis, and while the guide was giving her lecture, my grandson looked at me and said "papa. she doesnt know what she talking about"

go figure

smile girl there are different age levels for kids in splash academy. the entourage is specifically for "teens" if your girls are under 13, sorry, it's a no go. ncl rules. it has also been mentioned, would you want your12 year old, hanging out with kids just under 18? im sure they will enjoy the other kids in splash academy. there are "guppies" for younger children, kind out like kindergarten. im not sure where the actual splash academy age starts, but if it's 7, she can hang out with her sisters.

if you ever meet my wife, she will also tell you how "anal" i am when booking a vacation.

if it helps you choose a hotel, i usually go to bookings.com or hotels.com.

they both give you a wide variety of choices, prices, location and pictures/descriptions of the hotels. they also allow you to book without asking for money up front. they ask for a credit card, just to hold the reservation and dont charge the card.

hope this helps, we've been on a number of cruises, loved barcelona, rome, been to majorca, nice town, not to much to se or do. same with marseilles. we hired a cab to take us around.

why dont you book the haven 2 bedroom suite.... problem solved

smilegirl, just an added thought. docking at liverno, there is no way i would miss the leaning tower of pisa, also, if you can do it, try and stay a few days in rome. turn every corner, and there is another magnificent structure to see. and of course the colleseum and the vatican, although the wait to get into the vatican may be too long for your kids. one thing we did last year, we stayed at a marriott, took a walk, and stopped at an outdoor cafe for a cappuccino. it was a beautiful bright sunny day, clear blue skies, great for people watching, and jokingly as we sipped our coffee, we commented, wonder what the poor people are doing now.

no, but it was there, a major surprise, and we took advantage of the opportunity. it was convenient, but if it wasnt there, we would have just as easily hired a cab. we stayed at the hilton doubletree hotel, and it wasnt very far from the port

dear ncl ruined.. would it have made a major difference if you had known about the changes prior to boarding. would you have turned around and headed for home?

while i'm not sticking up for ncl, do you think it's easy to try and track down over 2000 people prior to sailing and let each  and every one of them know the change of itinerary. 

Yes, if i booked to see Antarctica and or South Africa, i'd be plenty p***ed off.

I readily admit, i was more disappointed then angry when our cruise couldnt dock in Hanoi. It was one of the contributing factors for my booking (although not the only factor) but i got over it in a hurry. We were also disappointed in not docking in berlin on another cruise.  while i was looking forward to seeing this city, as it wasnt a primary factor in booking this cruise, i merely shrugged my shoulders, went up to modreno's for a leisurely breakfast, had a glass of proseco, went back to bed for a few more hours, and all was right again with the world.

dont let a change of ports ruin the rest of the cruise, no matter how much you wanted to visit a specific port

leaving in the star on april 10th, rio to lisbon. my hope is that it doesnt get stuck in the middle of the atlantic ocean. please light a candle for us, and keep your fingers crossed. LOL

i am no pollyanna, and one of mankind's eternal skeptics. Having sailed on over 25 cruises with ncl over the past 13 years, while disappointed at times, i dont believe ncl intentionally lists ports of call that they have no intention of visiting.

sorry folks, stuff happens. if you miss a port try and enjoy the cruise anyway. last year we missed berlin and edinburgh. disappointment YES! complete downer NO! 7 years ago, we were on the 1st southeast asian cruise offered by ncl. due to mechanical problems, we were unable to dock in taipei, and hanoi. being a vietnam vet, not getting to see Hanoi was in fact a massive disappointment. However, as it must, the show must go on

if it's your 1st time cruising the mediterranean, i wouldnt  miss any of the ports, although i do understand it will be a problem dragging around 2 pre teens and a 7 year old. given a choice, however, i might skip Gibralter. although there is a lot of history. majorca, been there, and there aint a whole lot going  on. same with marseille, . liverno is about an hr from the leaning tower, so i wouldnt miss that. and remember rome is also about an hour away from the port of citiavecchia. so you need to take that into consideration. the entire cruise  might also be extremely tiring for a 7 year old.

what we've done in the past is get off the ship, hire a cab to take us around (even the hr from liverno to pisa) it's substantially cheaper than the ncl excursion rates. 

the problem with your question, is that opinions are like certain parts of the anatomy, everybody has one, and you'll probably be inundated with different responses. 

Caveat: the opinions expressed herein are strictly my own!

final tip, as soon as you can, sign the kids up for splash academy, they will be with other kids their own age. My grandson, wo is now 25, started sailing with us when he was 11, all the way through to his teen years on the entourage. he had a ball, and still keeps in contact with some of the kids he previously met.

regardless, have a great cruise and "bon voyage"

uneami. it must be just  the ncl joy. any suite penthouse or other wise, haven or just a suite gets the perks. any ncl ship we've taken (an we've taken a bunch) always offered butler/concierge/ breakfast in moderno, lunch in cagney's etc.

1st off, the 3 bedroom, while large and spacious is the most expensive cabin on board. while your plan might be brilliant in it's concept, it  may not work in it's execution. when you go for breakfast or lunch, in moderno, cagneys or the haven restaurant, the hostess always has a list of who's staying where, if your friends names are not listed as being in the 3 bedroom, it'll be a no go.

also, if your steward or butler is a tattletale, he will notify someone that there is an extra party in the cabin that doesnt belong.  by the way, paying for 2 couples for the 3 bedroom and an extra inside cabin, is a tremendous waste of money. (unless of course, you have that much discretionary income to spend). the 3 bedroom is about  4000 sq ft with an additional 2000 sq ft of sundeck.

why dont all of you chip in equally, and get the 3 bedroom?

there is a latte and cappuccino offered on most menus. if youre in a suite and eating breakfast in moderno, they also have french press coffee available on your table.

the latte's and cappuccino onthe menus are i think 3.95.

however, if you get the upgraded drink package, both starbucks, and special coffees are included. 

did you hear it through  the grapevine?

while im sure you might get a slew of responses, for the 2 meal specialty dinners, i would choose le bistro and cagneys, hands down. moderno's has gone down in quality, la cucina, is just a step up from olive garden, (and not even a big step) and unless you love the show, teppanyaki, has also gone down in quality.

before i start getting bashed by other cruisers, the opinions expressed are strictly my own, and I acknowledge upfront other people may have much different opinions as to which specialty restaurants they prefer

better to take euros just to be safe.  most of italy prefers euros only, france isnt to crazy about us dollars either. we've been to greece a few times, and i believe they also prefer euros

chiefjrk.. blue moon, (the drink or the oldies by the marcels). you saw me standing alone etc...

simple answer. any cabin up to and including club balcony suites (although not really suites) and your travel companions can join  you at any of the other available eating venues. if you book a suite, you can eat breakfast at moderno's, lunch in cagneys, your companions cannot.

if the particular ship you're choosing, has a dedicated haven complex, you can eat all  your meals in the haven restaurant. again, your companions cannot. 

here's an idea, however: possibly you and your parents can book a 2 bedroom suite and you'll all get the perks, your friends can book a lessor suite and get the perks. 

by the way, as i've posted before, on ncl ships that offer both haven and "suites", the rooms are essentially the same, the perks are essentially the same, except if here is a true haven, you get a specially designated pool/jacuzzi/sundeck area, a private bar, lounge and restaurant.

the difference is about 2-3000 in price. we usually book the suite, although as much as it pains me to do so, to save the extra 3k, i can forgo the private private parts (excuse the pun)offered in the true haven

we were in the 2 bedroom on the star in 2022. breakfast in moderno... lunch in cagney's, no specific/ specially designated place for dinner.

other than ncl ships with designated haven complex, the perks for a suite are almost identical, but a great deal cheaper.

you will find that some ncl ships offer both haven and suite cabins. again the cabins are almost identical in size, but no specially designated pool/restaurant lounge or bar area, but then again if you just book a designated "suite" you're saving about $3000
 

I love cruising , period !  doesnt matter when where or how!

as long as they have chivas, and a decent port wine for after dinner, im good to go

he'd sleep on the sofa, ive always had it pulled out. imho, it isnt bad or uncomfortable for a 12 year old

call it bad luck, or just coincidence, but for the past few years, if ever a cruise ship encountered a problem, or got bad press,  it seemed to always be a carnival cruise (just saying) by the way, i'm a dyed in the wool ncl fan, and have taken over 25 cruises with them since 2010. based on price and choices of itineraries, i wouldnt think of booking with anyone but ncl

sobe, i think you're missing the point. I don't "demand" a deep cleaning, but I don't think anyone needs to find someone else's junk from the previous cruise when they 1st enter the cabin.

if your'e displeased with service offered anywhere, hotel, restaurant etc, do you just suck it up, or do you ask to have it fixed. 

I assure you, iI'm not going to run to guest services and make outrageous demands, I don't need an OBC, or a free meal, a spa pass, or anything else in an attempt to appease me., I just want (and expect ) a clean room. I would just contact the steward

and ask him to re-clean. End of story, no need to proceed further,

the only time i might go over a persons head, is if i'm in a haven or suite, and the butler is MIA. I would talk to the concierge. Im not trying to get any one in trouble, but the on call butler service is a perk i have paid for, and i believe i'm entitled to ask for this

Im terribly sorry, but maybe my expectations are slightly higher then yours, especially if i booked a haven suite. Im not looking for dust bunnies, or dirt behind the sofa. You're making light of an important issue. I want a clean room, i dont demand "spotless" 

im also very unclear has to how you can justify your position. SORRY! there is absolutely no excuse for poor or shoddy service, especially if youre shelling out the bucks for a cruise

hey chief mate. for the 1st time in a very long time and a great number  of posts, i completely disagree with you.

i can ignore no cookies, no hash browns, boring entertainment, crowed pools, chair/ seat hogs, and almost any little nuisance that may arise once i'm on the ship.

what is inexcusable, is finding prior passengers paraphernalia  in my cabin. sorry my friend the least i would expect is a clean cabin. while i might ask the cabin steward to take away things left in a drawer, someone else's junk under the bed, or in the bathroom/ shower, just shows (at least to me) an extremely lazy and or inefficient steward. 

you will notice my responses to peoples complaints are usually backing norwegien and advising people not t sweat the small stuff or let it ruin the cruise.

to quote the infamous don corleone, "this i cannot forgive"