rydi8

9 hours ago, F19810 said:

Thanks, that helps me.  I think that I will bring something a little dressier for my dinners at Cagnes and Le Bistro.  Are jeans allowed in the dinning rooms for dinner?

Judy

Here's a photo of NCL's minimal dining dress guidelines from petepenny: 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=616060

It's probably more about following proper protocols than cleanliness. I'll be on the Breakaway for a Halloween cruise in October and I'll try my best not to leave a big mess, so everyone who cruises after me won't need to worry 😉

According to my Day 1 Freestyle Daily from my March cruise on the Dawn, to make reservations:

• Walk up to any Restaurant Hostess Podium
• Stop by the Reservations Desk (Deck 7, Mid, Bamboo*)
• Call Restaurant Reservations by dialing #050
• Use iTV from your stateroom

*Bamboo is located starboard on Deck 7 around the corner from the mid-ship elevators between Teppanyaki and the Sushi Bar.

13 hours ago, jcool said:

Thanks everyone for your help. The ship we are thinking about is the Breakaway. I do not mind any cabin the only thing I am scared of is being over under the night club.  

I booked a Sail Away Balcony on the Breakaway for October. With a Sail Away cabin, you don't qualify for any of NCL's promotions, but according to my TA, I saved at least $500 per person from selecting the next lowest Balcony category. My stateroom hasn't been assigned yet, but I'll let you know what I get when it is.

Previously, I booked a Sail Away Balcony for my cruise aboard the Dawn in March and was assigned to Mid-ship Balcony 9680 which was surrounded by Casino at Sea VIP cabins & steps away from the Deck 9 lounge area that was quiet & rarely occupied. Not only did we enjoy our assigned stateroom more than the one we picked aboard our previous cruise, we saved $200 per person after purchasing our own dining & internet packages.

For perspective, we picked our Balcony stateroom aboard the Bliss last July. I'm not sure if there was an issue with my neighbors' door or my neighbors, but my mother was annoyed by the constant slamming of their door. Unless you're also selecting your neighbors around and above you, you could say that every stateroom is a bit of gamble.

One last thing...you have nothing to fear. Bliss Ultra Lounge is on Deck 7 aboard the Breakaway. Below it on Deck 6 is Savor Dining Room & above it on Deck 8 is Tradewinds Tax & Duty Free Shop. 

From my experience on the Bliss, I recommended making reservations for a MDR especially if your group is larger than six people or you plan to eat during a peak/popular time. During my Bliss cruise, the 6pm time slot was extremely  busy with more availability after 8pm. All 3 MDRs have the same menu, but ambiance, service & food presentation differed (at least that was the case each time I ordered French Onion Soup). At least from my experience, the Manhattan Room was noisier but food presentation was much better than the Deck 6 MDRs. When I ate at Savor, service seemed unorganized & hectic, so I enjoyed most of my meals at Taste.

However, when making your reservations, you need take your entertainment plans into consideration. The Bliss Theater has limited seating in comparison to the number of people on board. Also, shows like Havana & Jersey Boys occur only on select days.

In terms of specialty dining, make those reservations as soon as they become available for your sailing. If it's not one of your perks & you're considering specialty dining, I recommend saving money and purchasing a dining package; it will save you money. Everyone on my sailing raved about Cagney's Steakhouse. It's popular and reservations fill extremely quickly, but your local steakhouse will probably be a better value & experience. Most enjoy Teppanyaki with chefs entertaining and cooking in front of you, but be warned your clothes may smell smoky afterward. I do need to recommend Q Texas Smokehouse. The venue is casual, but outstanding and worth enjoying ... especially the desserts!

To my understanding, it's not everyone that gets the opportunity to bid for an upgrade so it's still a possibility and is more dependent on your bid amount, demand for your assigned stateroom type, and availability of your upgrade stateroom type than your original stateroom booking. 

Ship -Dawn

Deck - 9

Stateroom # - 9680

Stateroom Category – BA

Starboard or Port Side - Port

Quiet Stateroom? (With comments on problems) – Yes, stateroom was quiet

Was stateroom a connecting stateroom? -No

Balcony View - Give comments on view, noting if location of any obstructions was an issue. – Standard Balcony View (Great!)

Balcony Size? Normal or oversized for class? - Normal

Was wind a problem? -No

If an aft cabin, was soot a problem? -N/A

Any specific problems with this cabin? - Limited electrical outlets: 1 North American (Type A) & 1 European (Type F)

Any other comments? - Stateroom is very convenient located midway between midship & aft elevators. Just short distance away is the access door to Deck 9 lounge area overlooking the Atrium Café and any activities/presentations occurring there.  Staircase in lounge provided another option to O'Sheehan's on Deck 8 & down to the Grand Atrium/Guest Services on Deck 7.