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@wil e coyote Thank you for the Shout Out. BTW, I love your screen name. If you read the thread then you know, my goal was for folks to have realistic expectations. The foundation of why it was written was because at the time, there was little clear indication on how to get every bit of value if you booked or got lucky enough to have won a Haven Upgrade Bid. Social media is a strange place indeed. Part of my tone was because I disliked the anger folks had. Usually that anger was when someone called them out for making statements that were less then accurate. I knew that everyone exaggerates and just wanted to make sure my writings was a close to reality as possible at the time of writing. I hope your Haven Trip is fantastic. I envy you. I am going out on the Breakaway on Sunday in a Club Balcony Suite. I wish I was in the Haven. Instead, this trip will be "Haven Lite". Thanks again for the very kind words. Cruise well, enjoy every moment in the Haven.

@DCGuy64 I am going to answer the questions on my other op-ed instead of here. The one that is my Journey to the Casino's at Sea Slot Tournament finals for my wife. That way this stream can be answered and done. I am logging off this topic. The bricks they are a flying. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

GREAT idea.

Call NCL, explain your issue and ask when the last moment you can cancel the package. Only NCL can give you the best advice on this one. Cruise Well and enjoy every moment.

For Balcony's or higher categories, Amex Platinum gives up to $300.00 per cabin in OBC and Dinner for two at the French Restaurant. Make sure your agent is an Amex participating agent. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@zanydoc First welcome. 21 days before boarding the NCL website opens up for you to Check-In online. Do it right away. You can than choose a time for embarkment. NOLA on a good day is a horrible place to board a ship. My strategy is to check in early and plant myself by the boarding door. They will give you a boarding group when you check-in. Unless the covid rules have changed, you are good to go with your boarding passes, credit card and passports. If you are in the Haven VIP area, you can make dining reservations 130 days prior to your cruise. If you are in a Suite or Club Suite, you can do it125 day and everyone else is 120 days. Make them as soon as you can. They fill up fast. If you have not done this yet and don't like what is being offered online, make a reservation anyway and change it when you get onboard. The shows sometimes open up for online reservations. Some times you need to do it when you get on board. Go to the box office, guest services or on the screen in your cabin. If you are in the Haven, the Haven desk will handle it. Most folks go to the buffet or the 24/7 restaurant. It depends what time you get on the ship. All venues tend to be crowded especially now that the ships are more filled up. If you are in the Haven you can eat lunch at the Haven Restaurant or the American Diner. I would do the Haven Restaurant. No limit to number of drinks. The drink needs to be $15.00 or less. If it is more, you will be charged the difference. You can get two drinks at one time. Remember Bottle water, Starbucks Coffee, Specialty Coffee, Fresh Squeezed juices and energy drinks are not included in the Premium Drink Program. There is an upgraded drink package for a cost called the Premium Plus Drink Package. I love it and always do it the last night because it is always a great memory. Bigger room with a bigger shower is a good description. If it is a club suite you get a few afternoon snacks and one bag of laundry. There are day and week passes for the Thermal Spa and the Vibe Beach Club. You can purchase the week passes on your online NCL account. Vibe is a adult only sundeck with a bar, comfy lounge chairs, umbrella's and hot tubs. This is the choice if the weather at the time is good. If they weather is not good or cold, the Thermal Spa is also an adult only area but inside with Sauna, Steam and Salt. Six and Burn the Floor are excellent and I am really picky. The pay for dinner show does not get great reviews. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

That would be great and would double the cost for sure. Thanks for the feedback. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Rob, first I would like to thank you for asking the question. I want to be transparent. My first Oceania Cruise will be November 9, 2023 on the Riviera. It will be 10-days, in the Mediterranean in a (PH3) Penthouse Suite. My post simply cannot provide you with actual experiences on Oceania but what I can do is give you some advice from my experience on other brands. When I share these the comments or shall I say opinions of my approach are mixed. About five years ago or more, I was getting frustrated on having a butler. They seems to be hit or miss. I finally had a REAL conversation with a butler and learned some things: Extra Work: Butlers do much more of their duties behind the scenes. This is especially true on the first and last day of a cruise. My original belief was the butlers just dealt with their respective guest needs. Not so. They are "Jacks of all Trades". Over Worked: You usually see butlers really over worked on Mainstream Brands like the NCL Haven or the Celebrity Retreat. When you up the classification of the cruise brand to "Premium Plus" or "Luxury", the butlers seem to focus much more on the guest needs and have the time to do that. No Crystal Ball: My conversations focused on my questions that I asked. I wanted to know what frustrated the Butlers most. The answer was surprising. They really want to please but don't you the guests wants and needs quite well enough or not at all. They don't have a Crystal Ball. I created a habit those many years ago, to give some background on my wife and I, what we liked and did not like, our requests with the understand not all could be provided. All of this in writing which I call the "butler letter". Butler Gratuities: Some brands do not include the butlers gratuities with the "Pre-Paid" gratuities. Many guest do not know that simple fact and leave without providing a gratuity for the butler which they depend on. This created a frustration which in some cases cause a less then great experience on both sides. Not saying this is right, just explaining the situation as I understood it. Since I have written my "Butler Letter", I have had good to GREAT butlers. For over 5 years, my butlers have been a hit with NO misses. To the person, when they read the letter which is kind, understanding and informational; they comment, "I wish all our guest would share this with us. It would make it so much easier to exceed our guest expectations." Flattery will get you everywhere but actions speak louder then words. The actions I received were a grand improvement. Here is the controversial part and I have been criticized enough for this practice by guest but shown appreciation by Butlers. All I am going to say is it has work wonderfully for me. In the butler letter, I put a gratuity upfront. I explain a real story where I left a ship without providing a butler with their gratuity and sent in onboard with an officer. I was totally embarrassed. So now I provide it upfront. It is up to us to have a plan to make our next cruise the best it can be. If we have had issues in the past, attempt a new strategy that can reduce or eliminate that issue in the future. What I do is not that right approach for others. It has worked for me and made my last many cruises an elevated experience. I hope this helps in some way. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

The best rule of thumb is purchase your Specialty Restaurant Packages, Vibe Beach Club, Upgraded Drink Package, Unlimited Internet and Excursions pre-cruise. If you don't want them cancel them just prior to the sailing. For reference. When I am in the Haven, I usually have two to three Specialty Restaurants. Two from the original Free at Sea and One from American Express Platinum. When I am not in the Haven, I have four or five Specialty Meals pre-done. Just me. All things are relative. Since you are somewhat new, may I suggest you look up the details for the new "Free At Sea PLUS" add on. Just read what it gives and consider from their. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Welcome to CruiseCritic.com. I will be on the Breakaway in three days. I will report back. This thread goes back and forth. I assure you, a Mudslide is on my radar. Also, B52's. As I have said so many time on this thread, "You got the right man for the job!" Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

I guess I did not explain myself well. What I meant to say was, the bar in between the two specialty restaurants, on the Joy it was the "A List" bar, service both restaurants (French and Cagney's). The A list Bar opens at 5 PM. This response was relating to a specific drink served in the French Restaurant. So I was saying go to the bar, have your drinks; not go to the restaurant and not eat. My bad. I hope I clarified it. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

This should answer both of your recent questions. LeBistro is usually on one side of the ship; another specialty restaurant like Cagney's (Layout of the Joy) is on the other side with a nice bar in between them. That bar usually opens up at 5 and is a fancier bar than others. That bar serves both restaurants so as long as it is open, you can get that drink. Whether other bars can make the same special drink is questionable. My experience tells me they won't unless it is the Haven Bar. One of the reason's I get the Premium Plus Beverage Package is the French Champagne at LeBistro. Stuff is excellent. Hope that helps. Cruise well and enjoy every moment. Welcome to CruiseCritic.com by the way.

This is some what or an accurate review as I remember it. As many will say, food is subjective. I love, love, love great "Prime Rib" and the best place is "House of Prime Rib" in SF. However I also love the cheapest McDonalds Burger meal. How is that for a spectrum. My family wanted to go to the American Diner. More for the cars which are the tables than the food. Kind of like "Jack Rabbit Slims" in Pulp Fiction. Since I love the Haven Burgers, I ordered something different. I had the "Blue Plate Special" which is different every day. That day it was, Roast Beef, Mashed Potato's, Gravy and Green Beans. I loved it. My family got everything from burgers to fish/chips. They hated it. See, relative. On eating lunch at the Haven Restaurant. Lunch is also is my least favorite's meal in the Haven Restaurant. I used to get the Pork chop when it was on the Lunch Menu. My favorite is the burger. I also remember when you arrived, the Haven would have Hamburger sliders and tiny baskets of French fries. I want to add something that I really think is important. When I did my Solo Trip in March, on the Joy again, I was forced to eat outside of the Haven every meal. I fell in love with the 24/7 restaurant. The Burgers, Chicken wings, even the hot dog which was big but of average quality (I still liked it) and the fries. I even enjoyed the buffet for lunch. I found the burgers their were good if you got them just as they were coming off the grill. Not being in the Haven gave me an appreciation for the other options on the ship. The one thing we can all agree with is you are never hungry on a cruise. Cruise well and enjoy every meal.

Amen!!!

@scooter6139 Yes, the Haven will be sold out. Not just on the Joy. I most all the NCL ships. This has been explained serval times on this blog. I will simply give you my experience in a Sold Out Joy Haven. I only had to wait for dinner once and it was less than 15 minutes. The Haven Bar is always crowded but you never have an issue getting a drink. Getting a bar stool is a bit tricky. The Haven meals, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinners never really change so you might call that Standard Lunch Menu. You are also offered a complementary lunch at the American Diner. I would pass on that. My preference is the Haven Restaurant Lunch. I hope this helps you and your plan. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

It is on the way to NOLA. It is a Lego Factory Store. Seems my family is into Lego's for Xmas. I on the other hand want NOLA food and drink. This time, I lost the battle so Lego Town it is. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

November 30, 2022: Four days to go. So much to remember: The Shooter Drink Controversy: I have taken the assignment to see if NCL changed policies on drinks like B52's (Shooters). Also, if the Vibe still does the Shooter Hour happy hour. I am on it. NCL Bid Upgrades: I noticed today that the upper categories like spa suites through Haven are all sold out. That usually means that the upgrade bids assignment has started. I don't think on this ship anyone was upgraded to the Haven. Cruise Critic M&G: Over 150 people will be at the M&G which is one of the larger counts I have ever heard of. Pre-Cruise Correspondence: This is the first time I have not received anything in the mail. It is also the first time I booked through NCL Casino at Sea. We made our own luggage tags. Packing: Luggage pulled down from storage and packing today. This includes cleaning out the SUV for the 6 hour drive. Lego Town: We will stop in Lego Town on the drive up. Can't wait. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

They are high end. The brand had changed recently but you will be fine with what is provided. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@id10t You are looking at this all wrong and if you read my posts, you know that I also have had some folks aggressively disagree with me. I share this for context. Your stream has gotten a great deal of attention. This is very rare. It is also a complement to you. You reported on something that happened to you. It should not have happened to anyone. If folks were not interested, they would not have commented. Allow me to approach this a different way. Unlike others that just started their account on CruiseCritic.com, you have been on CruiseCritic.com for over 4 years. You post 70 times which means you only post when the subject is important to you. You did a good thing. When you explain something like your topic, you will always have folks that challenge you. Again, I am coming from a position of strength here. When I started posting, my grammar and spelling was so bad that folks did not care about my message. My grammar and spelling are even worst today. I was completely offended at those folks that called me names. That is just social media however it still hurt. Let it be water off a duck. Thank you @id10t, you made my day. You gave me a fun thing to do that was not even a thought prior to your topic. You engaged lots of people and you were always nice about it. NCL and all other cruise brands are working in territory's that is unknown right now. For me, I will now order a shooter at every bar for my first drink. If they stop serving them, I will have the most fun of my life by publicizing it all over the internet. I assure you, your Op-Ed will live on and you will get all the credit for it. Remember, you took the road that most folks don't take. The High road. Nothing wrong with that. I hope you enjoy the buzz you created. Again, I really needed it today. It was so much fun. Thank you again. Cruise well and post again.

@reeinaz This Stream has just taken a wonderful and fun turn. I am so excited about the "Quest for the Best Shooter Drink!". I had no idea there was a drink called "Duck Farts". That is a must. I also had no idea the Vibe had a Shooter Drink Happy Hour. My only hope is that I remember this cruise so I can write about it. Cruise well and bring Tylenol for the Handover.

@behan You are messing around with my good time next week. I am going to make believe you did not post this. That will force me to go to every bar and order a shot, with a picture to post. Please keep your experience on the down low. I just got really excited about my cruise which I will not call, "The Quest for the Holy Shooter Drink!!!" BTW, I love the get away. Have a ball on in a couple of years ago. The first time I did a dead drop water slide at age 62. Awesome. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Name the Movie: "If I would you, I would drink heavily!", "I would listen to him, he is in pre-med!" Cruise well and it will be a good thing that I am not driving the boat.

I have never heard drinks costing more or less from one bar to the next. I am confused for the time being on Baily's. When I do me "Important" research, it will be focused on the Premium Beverage Package not the "PLUS". That is the real question. I wish NCL would pay more attention to this site and have official representation on policy like this. Seems like the Customer Centered Thing to do. To stay on track, I challenge those that commented on this stream to give me a "Specific Drink" to order. If we are going to do this, let us do it right. Guinea Pig Gary is open to suggestions. Cruise well and enjoy every moment. "Shots R Us!"

The mystery is now over, I will confirm it next week. The author did his best to inform us which is all we can ask anyone. No one did anything wrong and at least now we all know that we can have as many shots as we want. Thank you to the author for his/her concern. I am personally happy that I don’t have to go to every single bar on the ship and order shots. I can’t do that anymore. But there was a time. Cruise well and enjoy every moment

Thank you again @mtrancher. You completely understand what I was saying. I will do a real time report if after I test the waters or spirits, I can still type. I have a tendency to over enjoy my first day especially when you have been waiting over a year to cruise. I am also happy to say, I was not cancelled once for this cruise. Almost makes me feel uncomfortable. But I digress. Cruise well and Shots for everyone.