Cruising Lynne

We did the 9 hole golf on this trip and it was free. My husband paid the fifteen dollars for the go-carts, and really enjoyed it. We did not play any of the games that you had to pay for. There were quite a few games outside that were free, and the area seemed to be enjoyed by a lot more people than would use the basketball court on other ships. It is too bad that they could not find a way to have kept the Observation Lounge a little bigger. We were able to find seats in the Observation Lounge, but I will admit that we did not go there very often. I thought it was a lousy place for the Latitude's party, but this may have been due to the fact that this cruise had such a large number of Latitudes members. We had to sit so far away from the bar area during the party that it was difficult to get a cocktail.

Hi Bird. We were on the same cruise, and I found Hudson's to be an enjoyable experience, except for the dessert choices. I think they need more choices or a rotation there. The only dessert that I wanted was the lava cake, which was excellent. I also tried the apple pie, but that was not very good. We ended up going to the buffet later so I could get a better dessert. Also, my husband said the carrot cake is a lot better at the Local.

We checked in a little before ten, so maybe they weren't available yet? Thanks for the reply.

Hi Pete. We were also on this cruise, and never received any notification of the change. When did you get this letter? I was okay with the change because I knew it would make getting off the ship Thursday morning go a lot smoother. I was only upset that we were never notified and I had to hear it through the grapevine.

For now, with the Free at Sea drink package, I am very satisfied with the varieties of drinks I can get that are included. I am not a NCL cheerleader, but can do basic math and determine what is a good value for me. I realize nothing is free and the total cost of a cruise on any line has to be taken into consideration as well as what you pay for drinks. I have also sailed NCL without a drink package and just a Casino at Seas drink card. I did order some drinks out side of the casino and found that the pricing aligned with the drink prices in my local area (Central New England). I also ordered some drinks of the day which are a little bit less expensive. Do whatever works for you. For any trip, it is good to compare different cruise lines that you like before booking.

BirdTravels, Wow!! Those pictures are making me hungry. My husband and I were just talking about the possibility of them re-stocking all the food for the next batch of VIPs. I am looking forward to at least trying some of the new items in the Indulge Food Hall. The first night will be an old stand by, Le Bistro. Looking forward to checking out the fancy decor, and not having to live vicariously through you. I do enjoy all your reviews and pictures.

I seem to remember a thread a while back that was about a shortage of some liquors, including Bailey's. Although, they still had it in the duty free shop on board. It may be the higher price right now due to a supply issue. I like graphicguys idea of experimenting with other things that are included.🍹

They were first come, first serve when we were there in March.

We went to the seafood night recently on the Breakaway. I always refer to it as shrimp night, because it has shrimp cooked at least four different ways. I really liked the garlic shrimp and the cold shrimp with cocktail sauce. They had fried fish and baked fish dishes and seafood paella. It was good but not like the Extravaganza in the video. I am hoping they will still have a more extravagant seafood night on the next Prima sailing on the 10th. I could go for some crab legs!!

If I am understanding correctly, for people with the regular drink package on NCL or Celebrity, Bailey's Irish cream will cost you a dollar? I have to say that I on my most recent NCL cruise (September 2022), I ordered a mudslide. It was made with Maloney's Irish Cream. I found out that I preferred it over Bailey's. Bailey's sometimes upsets my stomach, and I found that did not happen with the Maloney's. I do not know how it would taste straight or in other mixed drinks. I do not like Irish cream enough to ever drink it straight. Unrelated to Irish Cream: I have sailed on Celebrity in the past and enjoyed it, but for now prefer NCL. I really like Freestyle dining and the entertainment on NCL. It is really hard to compare cruise lines. Even within the same cruise line your experience can vary depending on the class of ship. I like that on the smaller ships I do not need to reserve any shows, but on the larger ships I enjoy the Broadway shows. On Celebrity and Royal, I like that some of their ships have an included indoor pool and indoor hot tubs. People really need to do research before booking on any line to find what cruise will align with their personal preferences.

Maybe KateQ22003 played the clarinet as a child, and was never happy about having to practice, therefore it was not a "happy noise"?

I guess that could work if it is the cabin next to you, and not me while I am trying to take a nap.😄

Maybe she can bring it if she promises to only play it when she goes ashore in ports? Sometimes there are empty lounges during the day she may be able to play in so it would not disturb others. Or, a far away corner on one of the upper decks, but I can't help thinking that she really would prefer to have an audience. I enjoy music, but unless I was on a Hawaii cruise, I would not enjoy hearing a ukulele. My husband is nicer than me though, and he says "more power to them".

LOL I never had coconut shrimp or beef Wellington at summer camp! When the camp cook wanted to save money, and give us something healthy, he made lentil soup. Not many campers wanted to eat it, but it was very good. NCL "fooled us" into paying extra for specialty dining, so they may get away with this as well. For example, Le Bistro. It doesn't really have anything more special than the MDR used to have before specialty dining became a big thing. I never understood why so many people were willing to pay extra. I guess the more intimate venue is good for a "date night". I could see paying extra for Teppanyaki or Moderno because they are different than what the standard MDR food used to be. I guess time will tell if the fixed menu last

I mentioned the steward because they sometimes know someone in bar or room service that can help expedite things. Didn't realize getting water was such a process. I am glad my next cruise is through my casino so I can get bottles of water for free at the casino bar.

I don't think that, but most cruise ports I have been to do accept US dollars.

When we were there two weeks ago, They gladly took our US dollars, but gave us change back in Canadian dollars. If the store has everything priced in Canadian dollars, the item comes out cheaper when you pay with your US dollars. We were told by a couple of vendors that it is better to use our credit card because the credit card company will figure out the exchange. You will be charged the full amount Canadian initially, but ultimately end up paying less. It was a little confusing. Some of the change we got back included one and two dollar coins. So be aware if you spend your change some place else. We also found that some places did not bother with the exchange rate if you used cash. You have to ask, or just make it easier for yourself and use a credit card.

I am glad you are not in the Haven. Looking forward to a Semi-Live I can relate to! Hope you have a great trip, and can post some photos of whatever room you do have. I am so excited about our trip coming up next month and love seeing a preview of what is to come. Thank you for posting. Bon Voyage!!🛳️

So ridiculous! You may have been better off just asking your room steward for the water. It may seem like a small thing, but it is a perk you earned and It shouldn't be that hard to get.

We are also Sapphire and I am wondering if the average crew member even knows that it is a higher level than Platinum? We had our chocolate covered strawberries and waters, but no special toiletries or robes on our recent trip. I was not worried about the robes since I knew the steward would bring them upon request. I did not know that special toiletries were even an option. I would settle for the lotion they used to give out and a bar of soap. My next question is not about toiletries, but may be related to being Platinum or higher. We were on Breakaway earlier this month in a balcony cabin, and I was also wondering if Lattitudes level has any bearing on where you are seated in the MDR? I was surprised that on the first night we went to the MDR, they tried to seat us at a two top right by the doorway that all the crew goes in and out of with the food and dishes. It was early and there were still several two tops next to the windows available. We asked to be moved because it was the time period that Burn the Floor was going to be performing, and I wanted to be closer to see the show. My husband had even given the hostess the little voucher we had to get the cake to celebrate our anniversary, and he wanted it to be a special dinner. We ended up at a table for four much closer to the dance floor, so it worked out.

Thank you for the info. I am glad to hear that they have the shuttle. Last time I was looking to book the Hilton Garden Inn near the Hampton Inn in Ridgefield Park, they no longer provided transportation to the pier. This makes the Hampton Inn a good option if I choose to drive in the day before.

We recently parked at the Manhattan cruise terminal for our trip that left on 09/04/2022. It cost 40 dollars per day, so it was 280 for the week. It is very convenient. We paid the attendant who was standing at the top of the ramp that leads up to the parking area. After you pay they have a dog sniff the car before you pull in to park. There are porters right after you pull in with carts that they are loading with the luggage to bring down to the ship. You can briefly stop there to give the porters your suitcases and then park. We made sure our bags were already tagged and ready. Our space was much fewer than 1000 feet to the elevator, which brings you right down to the line for security. After boarding the ship, we could look out from the pool deck and see our car in the lot, and a nice view of the Intrepid air craft carrier at the next pier.

I can see why some people may not like having the same menu every night on a longer cruise, but it does not seem that bad for a 7 nights or less cruise. On our recent 7 night cruise, we only ended up in the MDR two nights. We had dinners at Cagney's, La Cucina, and two nights in the buffet. One day we had a late breakfast, which led to having a late lunch in O'Sheehan's, and we did not eat again until late night snack time. A good thing about the non-rotating MDR menu is that you do not have to worry that you are missing favorite items on the days you choose specialty dining or the buffet. I also like that there are additional sides you can order. I have always said to my husband that I would like more vegetables with my main course. I'm not that impressed with the same dessert choices every night, but you can always head up to the buffet for different options or a crepe. A bad thing for my husband is that I did not see a lamb choice. We shall see what happens If people don't like it. Maybe they will go back to the rotating menus. Or, just have the same menu on certain ships.

We took the NCL excursion. With the 50 dollar excursion credit, the price was not bad for my husband and I. The benefit was that we were the first ones there. We were situated with chairs and drinks delivered to our chairs before the other shuttles arrived. I had picked the earliest time they offered. With two ships in port that day, it got crowded. They even ran out of chairs to rent. If I did not want to get up early, I would take the 7 dollar shuttle. It is the best deal if you do not have anyone to split a taxi with. The shuttle runs back and forth all day which is great if you want to stay longer than the NCL excursion time.

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