ChiefMateJRK

Like many, I have never smoked but grew up in a house with a parent who smoked. The smell has never really bothered me. In fact, on my last cruise I spent some time in the enclosed "smokers" casino room, to play a slot machine that was only there. Most of the time, nobody was smoking in there. There was one guy who came in occasionally to smoke but not gamble (yes, that's against the rules, but since I was gambling without smoking we had an offset 🤣). I'm not a believer in the hazards of occasional secondhand smoke. I'm sure it is more dangerous than bubbles on my balcony, but we're splitting hairs.

You left out the worst of all, often discussed here in the past. A balcony near people who have the nerve to blow bubbles off their balcony. According to many experts here, if one of those bubbles pops on your balcony, it will create a tremendous mess that will take hours to clean up and, even worse, an immediate safety hazard for anybody who foolishly enters that hazard zone. The horrors.😱

He might have been a bit wiser if he said to "focus on how to use the money you've saved." Unfortunately, there are many, many people who think that the only thing they can use money for is to spend it on themselves. Whatever makes them "happy."😎

What? I'm pretty sure than I'm one of only four or five who actually answered the question asked in the OP. Did you?

At all ages, life is too short to not enjoy every minute that you can. I enjoy every minute of my cruise as long as I'm on the ship.😎

So those are equivalent?

Interesting. Which venue?

Really?

The dailies from my most recent cruise don't specify a time that several bars close. They just state "until close." Since the Local generally has food 24/7, the bar may remain mostly open. Somebody else may have better info for you. Since the party starts at around 7:00 am, this old guy is usually ready for bed when the music stops. You could always stockpile a few drinks for another hour or two. Most of the ship never really closes. Pro-tip: Last week, the night before the cruise ended, we ordered a few double-vodka neat's before the bar closed and had our screwdrivers at breakfast without relying on NCL's cooperation.

No afternoon nap?! I guess that explains the late start in the morning....😁

They sometimes go to the naughty room if you don't attach at least three tags to each bag and take more photos of it than they do at the dealer when they check my car in for service. You then have to spend half your cruise trying to get them back. Or, at least that's what I've been told.....

On most cruises I've been on, there are usually one or two bars with live music until midnight. After that, the ship is pretty quiet. I'm usually in bed by midnight and up at 6:00 to get my Bloody Mary with Breakfast at 7:00. That's when a couple bars will open. It's also when an MDR opens up, which is where we tend to enjoy breakfast.

Yep. It's my favorite game in the casino. No matter how many dollars I pump in, I always break even.😎

Probably uses NCL's wi-fi.🤣

Have you sailed in steerage on NCL?

I think that some people also want to hear from folks who skipped expensive cabins but still had fantastic cruises. I see a whole lot more reports from people who say they would be miserable in steerage but have never actually tried it.

No, they don't. I absolutely don't base any of my cruising decisions on available resources. Some folks don't choose to spend all available resources only on themselves (cruising and otherwise). That said, I get it. Typical people in my country spend more resources than they have available on things like this. That's why they wind up broke and miserable (or asking for handouts).🤑 LBYM.😎

touche'🤣 Actually, 98.6% of the time I am in my cabin I'm either sleeping or in the bathroom. Ain't much world watching happening then, with or without a balcony.

Well, I was really just answering the OP's question from the perspective of somebody who doesn't base the decision upon resources available (i.e. the opposite of your position). My perspective of diminishing returns is that once I have to pay more than $25 per day for a balcony, it really isn't worth it to me. I enjoy the larger cabin, couch and balcony as much as the next person. However, if I spend more than $25 per day on it that added enjoyment is offset by the negative feelings that I am wasting money on something I really don't need. That's just me and it doesn't have to be anybody else. The only time I recall a balcony actually adding discreet enjoyment to my cruise was when we were able to get an aft balcony with lounge chairs on a NE cruise. The other times, it was like "'eh, this is nice, but I can easily live without it." I'm a simple cruiser and get all of my lasting enjoyment from just being on the ship and watching the world go by.😎

Sounds like an interesting fellow. I think I may know him!🤣🐀

Yep. Thanks. I would add "but would I rather just NOT spend that money and invest it for my family's future wellbeing or other good causes?"

My income and expenses are totally irrelevant to my choice of cabin. So yes, I was able to actually answer the OPs question. That places me clearly in a very small minority. I don't live by the equation: "Income - expenses = money to throw away on things I don't need" That said, it sounds like you and many others might.😎

I wear slippers, sweats and untucked chino shirts. 100% comfortable (priority one) and compliant (priority 53).

I don't believe that either of those have a dress code.

I have some advice my friend. Consider each email from NCL about the safety video as a brief reminder that you'll soon be on a cruise!! The five minute (or less) walk to the muster station? It means YES, I am on the ship!!! Woo Hoo!!!🤩