rbxlady

Just show up to the port whenever, of course after people in general are allowed to show up. I haven't seen anyone report being denied entrance to the terminal because they showed up before the time they picked (or were assigned) at online check-in (21 days out). Haven guests get a separate area to sit (how nice this is depends on both the port and the particular terminal) and are the first to board. We sailed on the Epic on 3/31 and were walking on the ship around 10:50AM, so if I were doing that sailing again, I would aim to arrive around 10:15AM to get through the thing where they have to take your picture and check your documents, then get a cup of coffee and a snack in the Haven lounge but also not sit around for too long.

For our Haven cruise on the Getaway in October of 2022, they let us put bags in our suites. The steward was in there and started to (gently) protest our presence until I clarified we were just dropping bags, which she said was fine. On the Epic a couple of weeks ago, we had to keep our bags with us in the Haven lounge and then through lunch at the Haven restaurant. It was a bit of a pain but not a huge deal. Next time I'll be better prepared for that possibility because the carry-on I chose was not ideal overall.

I agree with someone else's comment that everyone's opinion will be different, but if you're interested, I bought three of these, each in a different color (blue, sea green, and mustard), and gave them to my husband and two sons at Christmas, since we do travel frequently on weekends and obviously because we had a spring break cruise planned. (I paid $50.99 apiece +tax.) It's honestly too big for a weekend bag unless you are doing a bunch of stuff, but for a 7-day cruise, it worked well for all three of them with no additional baggage, helped by the fact that I'm mom who carries all the things (read: all the first aid/meds and accessories like pop-up hampers and clotheslines with hooks) so had a large suitcase plus a backpack. They liked the amount of pockets/compartments, but they did not like that it would not stand up on its own. However, since you are in the market for a two-wheeled bag, I figured I'd mention it. We ended up doing self-disembarkation, and we don't fly to the port, so they didn't go through any type of baggage claim, but the colors would be enough to stand out without being ridiculously colorful. I also added holographic curling ribbon to make them stand out in case we didn't do self-disembarkation.

On the Epic right before you, I noticed the carpet didn't have any way of indicating fore vs aft, at least not that I picked up on. I did have to re-orient myself because it was my 6th cruise, and I realized that we've always stayed on the port side, not by choice but by chance. We were starboard this time, and it totally threw me because I kept thinking the ship's orientation was opposite. I also wondered if any of the non-NCL entertainers would stay on for the TA, but we had a different magician.

To add to this, when you are leaving GSC, there is a separate path to the right of the main tender line for Haven guests to skip the line to get a tender back to the ship, but I would just walk up there and say you're a Silver Cove guest (you'll have a bracelet to prove it). I don't recall seeing a sign that it was for both either time we went, only Haven, but I assume Silver Cove would get priority back to the ship as well. For what the villas cost, I would hope so.

We ended up doing self-disembarkation when we disembarked on the 7th, but in case we didn't go that route, I bought holographic curling ribbon, so our luggage looked like birthday presents: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Holographic-Silver-Curling-Ribbon-100-Yards-by-Gwen-Studios/314621998

Right, for us they just needed a number, not names, and when we arrived at the initial check-in to be shuttled over the Silver Cove, they counted the number of us to make sure it matched the number we registered. So thank you for adding that you should all arrive together!

I loved reading this so far, first because I would love to do a TA (actually I'd love to do a TA, hang out in Europe for a minute, then do another TA if I could work it out), and second because we just disembarked the Epic on Sunday. It was a FULL ship-- zero free staterooms. I'm sure 3680 feels empty in comparison, especially with very few kids. I remember the casino being smoky (I only walked through, didn't play), but compared to the Getaway, I prefer the Epic layout with the smaller atrium because the smoke doesn't really travel to different decks. I can see why others would disagree, though. My sister and I collect Starbucks "You are Here" and "Been There" mugs, so I bought one for each of us, even though she's never been on a cruise. All of mine are Disney World ones, so this is a new addition to my collection. Do I need that many coffee mugs? Absolutely not. Do I care? Absolutely not. I love them because they're adorable and hold a lot of coffee! They were announced last summer right before my brother boarded the Getaway, which I had been on in late 2022, so I was going to ask him to buy one for me. However, his cruise was a week or two too before they were actually available, so I didn't get one, but it's a good excuse to book more cruises! I laughed because we ate at Taste one night, and I had your exact meal. That tiramisù was the best dessert I had on the ship! (It even beats the Haven decadent chocolate cake, and I'm a chocoholic.) We also had "breakfast potatoes", and now I understand why people get up in arms over not having hash browns. I started calling them "sad potatoes". Glad you are feeling back to normal and looking forward to reading more of your live, especially the ports!

Just to give extra (and recent) confirmation, we were on GSC a little over a week ago in a Silver Cove villa, and what NCL told you is exactly how it works.

We just disembarked the Epic this past Sunday, having stayed in a 2BR Haven suite. Our only past Haven experience was on the Getaway in late 2022, so y'all were right that the Epic has a superior Haven! If I had to complain about something about the Epic space, it is that, because it is so spread out and because of the placement of the elevators, there are too many locked doors to go through to get around the Haven, especially if you're carrying drinks. The one upside to the Getaway's size is that our suite was only about 15 steps from the bar through one unlocked door (not counting our room door). One weird thing was that we did not get Haven robes. I don't know if this is a thing on the Epic or fleet-wide or what. I asked for one in my pre-cruise concierge e-mail because my husband loves it, and to be fair to NCL, it didn't occur to me to ask our butler. My husband probably didn't care enough to ask, either, so it's possible that we were supposed to get one, and it was an oversight. In other words, I don't mean to sound any alarms, but just something to keep an eye on because, as of a couple of months ago, Haven robes and certain other items disappeared from the NCL Home site. About a month ago, the whole site got taken down. I'm not sure if there's any connection there. There were Haven slippers, though 🙂 We did not get hash browns this time, just “breakfast potatoes” (cubed potatoes) 😞 I didn't realize what we had until it was no more!

Just to confirm what we all already know, we disembarked this past Sunday, and my husband, my kids, and I were all able to text each other (no pictures, though) on our iPhones on the NCL wifi even though only my husband and I had internet packages. In other words, the kids did not have to download the NCL app (and we did not have to pay $10/child) to be able to message each other. Hopefully this latest iOS update didn't mess with that loophole!

Thank you! It hit me that the terminal you were in might not be the same as we were in last time (Getaway in 10/2022). There was one sign for Haven guests when we went through the scanners (so we didn't have to wait in line), but beyond that, there was nothing indicating where Haven passengers were supposed to go. The person pointing us as to where to go didn't ask us if we were Haven and pointed us and the couple in the Haven in front of us to the main check-in desk. Confusion and non-hilarity ensued, and, long story short, it took us a while to find and be allowed in the Haven area. Let's hope it's a lot more obvious this time, but regardless, I really appreciate your detailed description!

@Sailing12Away some questions, as we'll be sailing on the Epic in the Haven in 2.5 weeks: Is it obvious when you get to the port terminal at Port Canaveral where Haven guests are supposed to go? Is that an enclosed Haven lounge? If it's not obvious, where is it when you enter the port? What time did you arrive at the port terminal? Thanks! (I'm gonna go scroll back and read!)

In late 2022, we had a 2BR Haven suite and were allowed to do this. The cabin steward was in there at the time and got slightly panicked when we opened the door, but when I said we didn't intend to come in and just wanted to drop our bags right inside the door, she looked relieved and told us that was fine. By the time we were done with lunch, we were able to go in and meet our butler.

I attached a screenshot from this link to a NCL pdf about the P+: https://www.ncl.com/sites/default/files/Premium_Plus_Bar_Package_111522.pdf Also, what cruise on the Epic will you be on? We'll be on the 3/31. Edited to clarify that fresh juices look to be included. I'm guessing refreshers would be available at Starbucks, but I'd definitely ask before ordering.