jbiz

There are several rental car agencies at the port. If you really want to go, just rent a car. Most of them will even shuttle you back to the ship when you get back. But you're better off touring KSC.

what about downtown disney?

its two 4 year olds, an 8 and 10 year old..

I am not sure the 4 yr olds will enjoy KSC

Yup, it's crazy. But getting a private van doesn't make it less so. :)

:-)

We really struggled w/this too,,,, we looked at all options and decided on an airboat tour, w gators. SOOOO not original plan, but Im actually psyched for this! my dd agreed when we factored in travel plus waiting online and travel back!

i just know the older kids (8 & 10) really really want to go to universal..

If the park is slow or you have VIP passes, folks may not feel that way. We went to Universal just after Hurricane Sandy was there and had a wonderful time. We headed back toward Hogwarts to start with and then circled around counterclockwise.

 

We had more than enough time to make it all the way back to Hogwarts a second time, before it was time to go.

the VIP Experience is 299/person.. thats crazy town..

the express pass might be something worthwhile though

I agree; I've been to the parks a lot, and 5-6 hours would not be worth the time and expense to me. Much of your time at Universal is going to be waiting in lines (unless you shell out big bucks for VIP passes); unless you're there on a slow day, you'll likely only have time for a handful of attractions, if that. Unless your heart is really set on seeing something in particular, like the Harry Potter attractions, you might be better off skipping the Orlando theme parks.

well assuming universal is happening... maybe i look at the VIP passes so its not a total waste

so i am sure this has been asked 1000 times, but as i try to search for it not really finding any good information.

I will be traveling next week with my family (4 adults + 4 children) on the Gem and Monday we dock in Port of Orlando around noon (departing 9:30pm).

We are planning to go to universal studios for the day and it seems that transportation via the cruise line for all of us will be a about $500+ ($79 for adults, $49 for kids)

somehow that just seems crazy and getting a private van would make more sense..

can anyone post about experiences doing that (good or bad) or recommendations if you have used a 3rd party for transportation.

thanks!

The Haven categories require the Big depostis. "H" categories. The regular Suites "S" categories, the FCC are good as full deposits

ah.. IC.. you can probably ask them to un-apply the FCC from the Haven you booked and just pay the 250 for that.. and then use the FCC for another sailing.. probably a little of shuffling but end results is less out of pocket..

With these NCL Promotions! I'm not complaining.

 

I was introduced to the Suite Life in January. Silly me didn't buy any more cruise reward certificates because I already had one and in April I'm cruising for 21 days.

 

Well since returning, I've booked 2 cruises in suites for 2016. Had already applied the one cruise reward I had to my Getaway Haven suite and just now booked an SJ Suite on the Dawn to Bermuda. Wish I had more rewards certificates, because I would truly book one or two more SJ suites for Itineraries going out of some Ports I have not sailed from or not sailed from in a very long time.

 

If I could only convince some family and friends to cruise with my son and I, but unfortunately I can't get people to commit this far out and I don't want to pay for the deposits for any more cruises.

 

I know First World Problems.

 

I love the Cruising Life!!

don't forget.. if you booking the Haven (or i think any suite???) the certificate doesn't act as full deposit.. so, with that said, since you would be out of pocket anyway.. you can always on your NEXT cruise, buy the couple of extra certificates and as long as you are not in your final payment window just apply them to your sailing future sailings, even if its already booked..

I hope this will still be the case for our cruise on the Breakaway on Nov 1. If only I could book dinner reservations now! The anticipation is killing me.

i am on that sailing too, when do they let you book? and when do they let you book for the Haven? how far in advance so can add it to my calendar

Also the dining package and stuff that "ends today" is being replaced with a similar but with 1 more option of free DSC for passengers 1 and 2. So I wouldn't worry about the promo ending part. On the 26th some cruise fares did go up however. Not sure if they came back down at all.

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I just like (for example) leaving NYC and being able to see the Statue of Liberty since early morning return I would still be sleeping.

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Cool. I did the same. I did have to actually pay for my May 2015 sailing since its within the final payment window. But the other 3 I have booked nov and then 2016 I just added to the final.

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I will be sailing on the NCL Jade 4/9/2016 and am booked in the 2br Haven.. having only sailed out of the east coast embarkation ports, does it matter for this embarkation or these ports below which side of the ship my room is on?

Sat Houston, Texas (EMBARK) --- 4:00 pm

Sun At Sea --- ---

Mon Cozumel, Mexico 8:00 am 5:00 pm

Tue Harvest Caye, Belize 10:00 am 6:00 pm

Wed Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras 8:00 am 4:00 pm

Thu At Sea --- ---

Fri At Sea --- ---

Sat Houston, Texas (DISEMBARK) 10:00 am ---

thanks!

and now per NCL:

as long as we apply the gratuities before March 1 and pay them with your final payment, you are protected

but, if you reprice the cruise at anytime after March 1st, then the new price will apply

here is what i am being told explicitly from my TA and the head of their company who has been in contact with NCL.. they are RECHECKING again today:

"Ok, this is what we found out regarding the Norwegian gratuities…

To avoid the gratuity increase, clients must have gratuities on their booking prior to March 1st but can pay for them any time prior to boarding the ship to avoid the $12.95/day gratuity…..

example: If you booked someone in October of 2014 but they did not have gratuities on their booking. To save them from now having to pay the increase in gratuities you can add gratuities to their booking now and pay any time prior to their departure date. (must be on booking prior to March 1st).

Any booking made on or after March 1, 2015, gratuities will cost $12.95/day per person for standard cabins and $14.95/day per person for suites"

Prepay is sort of a misnomer. If you call and have it added to you res (call ncl or your ta) it will be due with your final payment but locked in at the current rate. Granted you prepay it before sailing but for people with a cruise booked for 2016 for example (or before even, but just as an example) you wouldn't be actually paying right now.

With that said if you go onto ncl.com to your res and add prepaid, I believe your charged right now just like an excursion. Just food for thought for those wanted to add it but not want/have it available to shell out this far in advance.

If you are within final payment your SOL

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thanks sort of annoying.. but not surprising.. i had 2-3 sailings i was looking to book..

i am booked on the early Nov one, we booked the haven so we don't have to worry about the weather on the first and last day.. if its a bit cold.. since they have the retractable roof for the courtyard and pool

First time on NCL and going on the Gem friday. I did a search and came up with very old post so in case the policy had change here is my question.

 

Can i put water/soda in my luggage or is it better in carry on. On older post i did read that some people put luggage tag on water case so it can be delivered to cabine. Is NCL still do that?

 

Thank you in advance for your respond.

i usually bring water and soda.. sometimes when i send it with the porters, a couple of soda cans end up popped and makes a small mess that i need to wash off (nothing else goes in the bag for sure).. in those cases i usually take a cardboard box if not a suitcase and throw a luggage tag on it..

other times i have used a folding cart, something like this:

http://www.meritline.com/3-way-portable-luggage-cart---p-75751.aspx

and just walk it on myself so i don't have deal with it.. then at the end of the cruise, since it folds, i just pack it in my suitcase so i don't need to bother walking it back off..

I'm curious...adding the service charge as a choice doesn't seem to me to be an "added freebie," just another choice that actually has less face value than some of the other choices.

 

How would this cause the prices to go up?

well for the haven, its an added freebie, assuming you get all choices like the previous promo.. maybe they are trying to entice more people to take the higher rooms.

sorry for being ignorant on the topic.. but if i am US based, how do you do that? does it require you book directly with NCL instead of a TA (I booked thru a TA).. and then do you lose anything on the credit card side when you do this?

thanks

What is DSC?

right, AKA Gratuities, Daily Service Charge, $12/pp/pd (more as of march 1)

Would you then get the trio of UDP, UBP and $300 credit? If yes I would do it. We actually had a Spa Suite on the Getaway. We had access to the Haven and, quite honestly, I would not have missed access to the spa as the Haven was so nice.

 

The Haven restaurant was very good also.

 

If you get all the above perks add those up to get what it is costing you and you'll be surprised.

 

As far as repeating our Suite experience our next cruise is in an Oceanview so, yes, you can go back, lol. I do not regret our upgrade last cruise. It was probably our only time to do the Haven and the math made it workable.

yes, you would get all 3, and supposedly starting march 1, they are adding 1 more to that list, free DSC and they have (so i hear) gets that one too.. so all 4

Another thing to consider is the date you are traveling. The Haven sundeck/pool is covered on the Breakaway, so that might be nice for sailing out of NYC in colder months.

I agree.. one of the main reasons i book the Haven out of NY.. cold, rain, winds.. none of that matters once they close the roof.. weather [mostly] no longer is a factor to worry about..

We live near Seattle and so have cruised to alaska 4 times. twice on the Jewel, twice on the Pearl.

 

We book very close to sailing -- last year, 6 days before. We were on the Jewel. But, I watch prices very, very closely for a month or two. Prices really, really fluctuate during that time period. One year we booked on the Pearl because that ship's price was quite a bit lower than the Jewel.

 

Last summer. for most of the month before sailing The Pearl was lower in price. Then as it got about two weeks out, it switched. The Pearl price went up, and the Jewel price went down. We ended up on the Jewel, as it had the best price at 6 days out.

do prices in the Haven fluctuate that much as well? problem (that i have seen) is usually around that time (1-3 weeks out), the 2BR haven are either booked or people have been upgraded to those 2BR cabins and then not available either..