buckirj1

Between this, the bed bug letter, and the concierge being expected to solve a cruiser's problem unrelated to concierge duties, today has sure demonstrated way too many people have an inflated sense of their own importance. Complain if you must, even here, but realize you're not remotely special and aren't going to get any special treatment.

Agreed. People that don't care don't have to discuss it...

 

Just providing a differing opinion, another perspective, and a potential solution. That's the entire point of a discussion board. But you can do what you want.

[quote name='punkincc']You really should get educated on a few things before you post. It may be a non issue to you, but it is not to most.

Tipping 18 to 20% at home in a bar or restaurant is what most of us do, but on a ship, and NCL in particular, we are charged a Daily Service Charge which is supposed to cover the need for all tips except for a select few staff like bar servers who are not in the DSC pool, but get an auto tip of 18% instead. Anything additional was at your discretion, just like at home, and NCL was very clear that there was no required or recommended tipping over and above the DSC.

NCL has never excluded the specialty servers from the DSC. And now they have added 18% auto tip. So 18% plus whatever they get from DSC, plus maybe people like yourself throw in more cash? Just how much grat does this position require? And no one likes to be told they must tip.[/quote]

Again, I get all that...and don't care. I witnessed similar angst when WDW first instituted dining plans, first with tip included, and a year or so later with imposed tipping. A whole bunch of hand-wringing ensued, and absolutely nothing changed because people didn't stop using the plans. Same thing. Didn't care then, don't care now. If it's that big a deal, then vote with your feet and stop eating in the specialties. Problem solved.

Admittedly, I haven't read the thread all the way through, but left to my own devices I'd tip 20% in a bar or restaurant, because the math is easy to figure out. If a cruiseline is going to impose an 18% surcharge/tip, that's okay too, given acceptable service. It all goes on the card, and the difference between 18% and 20% is neglible. It isn't as if I eat in specialty restaurants or drink alcohol all that much, after all. The whole business is pretty much a non-starter for me, and I suspect for many other cruisers. I'm not about to sweat small stuff like this.

Basically, for me at least, the following applies:
Daily service charge: pay that and I'm done
Drink surcharge: pay that and I'm done
Alternative restaurant surcharge: pay that and I'm done
T'aint my business how NCL chooses to divvy up the charges and surcharges. It's still better than the awkward days of handing out envelopes and handshakes like you're Lord of the Manor.

I'm so curious since I've not been to Bermuda in years........

 

What is it you loved about Dockyard and St. George?

 

 

It was several years ago for me, too, and I've not been back. I remember both the Dockyards and St. George as historical and lively, a winning combination. Lots of shops, restaurants and energy. In contrast, Front Street was a snooze, and notable for little other than empty storefronts. Fellow cruisers remarked that downtown wasn't what it used to be. Additionally, my cruise was late in the season and I'm sure a lot of shops had shut down for the year. I hope downtown has had a renaissance; I could see where it had potential to be very nice. But on my cruise, it just...wasn't.

I went to Bermuda one of the last years that a mainstream cruise ship was able to dock at all three Bermuda ports (Dockyards, Front Street and St. George). I thought it was a lot of fun watching the ship sail away and taking the water taxi or bus to the next port. All that is to say taking public transport isn't at all burdensome. And I didn't think downtown Hamilton was any great shakes, through I loved St. George and the Dockyards.

 

The scenic oceanview cabins on the Carnival Sunshine look amazing. That'd be my choice, all else being equal. I'd much rather go later in the year, when it isn't quite so hot. My next choice would probably be the Veendam, if being docked downtown is attractive to you. It might be useful to research how much time you'll have in Bermuda as opposed to at sea time, as well as how many/which ships will be in Bermuda with you. I'd sure want to be prepared if the Anthem was docked the same day as the ship I was on.

 

I'd have a hard time considering Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, but they have lots of fans.

I've done only cold weather cruises, so on NCL it's all jeans, all the time.

Never say "Never", but don't hold your breath waiting, either...The sail out of NYC has to be one of the most spectacular I have ever done. The sail back in isn't bad, either.

 

I've always wanted to see the sail-in, with the Statue of Liberty all lit up in the dark, but can never wake up in time. Maybe someday. Maybe even on the Maasdam repo from Montreal to New York in October, if pricing comes down to a reasonable level. We'll see.

Hot Diggity! A 7-day itinerary on a great ship from New York in mid-October when it isn't hot. How awesome!

We have been on both lines. The food and service were very poor on NCL. The wait staff was completely overwhelmed and understaffed. We felt sorry for them but haven been back to NCL. Did enjoy entertainment though. Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

...and my experience was the complete opposite. I tried RCCL twice, and didn't much like it either time. The MDR food on RCCL was mostly adequate, but the service was very lacking. I maintain that cruiseline has no idea how to treat solo cruisers, whereas NCL is outstanding in this aspect.

 

Doesn't matter, since the OP isn't a solo cruiser. For what it's worth, I thought the MDR food and especially service were far superior on NCL.

What a nice thing to say, Sunshine. Thank you. Getting back to the topic, it also might be useful to see how many ships are scheduled to be in port with you that day. There are a bunch of websites for this, and they're all about the same. Do a google search to find them.

 

This probably isn't as important for the larger ports, but it's good to be prepared for big crowds if, say, the QM2 is in Bar Harbor the same day you are.

Unless you have a clear preference for one line over another, I'd look at itineraries to see which line offers the port stops you like. For example, some of the Gem itineraries go to Newport and Bar Harbor, while others go to Portland and Bar Harbor. The Brilliance OTS goes to Portland and Bar Harbor. The 9-night itinerary offered out of Boston on the Brilliance looks awesome, with fairly unique ports, but it's quite expensive. I'm keeping an eye on it to see if pricing gets more reasonable as the cruise gets closer. I have a few financial issues these days, and might not get to go in any case, but it's worth tracking...even if I don't particularly like RCCL. I could overlook a lot for an itinerary like that.

 

I'd also check to see how many hours the ship will be in port, and how early you have to wake up to disembark at a port. To me, this can be a real dealbreaker if I have to wake up at the crack of dawn, and feel rushed the entire time.

 

No matter what you decide, I don't think you can go wrong with a Canada/NE cruise.

[quote name='Barb Nahoumi']NCL runs one way New England--Canadian trips on the Dawn from Boston in the fall, while RCI runs round-trip Canadian cruises.

I would like to see NCL convert the Canadian cruises to round trip. On a one-way cruise, one must spend extra for transportation home, by booking a B to B, or finding a flight or bus. This is inconvenient and expensive.[/quote]

I agree with this. There's a lot to like about the one-way trips, but inconvenient and expensive is putting it mildly. And two weeks for a round trip is about 3 days too long.

Okay, I'll play. NCL would make me very happy if they'd put the Spirit, Sun or Sky in Baltimore and offer 8- or 9-night Canada/New England itineraries starting in late October and running until mid-November. Actually I'd be very happy with those itineraries later in the year from anywhere. I'd rather not go to Canada while it's still hot. I want 40-50 degree weather during the day, not 60-70...or even worse!

I'm in much the same situation as the OP: it's been two years for me, too. Fortunately, I'm able to shut down communications often enough that I don't go nuts. But I miss cruising. This year doesn't look good, because I have to replace the HVAC in the house, and that's going to be a hit to the savings. I'm thankful to have plenty of savings to cover the replacement, but it'd be irresponsible to cruise again until I build the savings back. I wouldn't be opposed to the right deal for the right cruise, though. I'll keep a close eye on the Gem's pricing after final payment is due for the Canada/NE itineraries. Or maybe a quick Sky cruise.

If you need to double check the list in the other thread, the types of senior staff you're asking about are usually posted on a board somewhere near the theatre entrance, with their photographs.

The best possible answer would be a Canada/NE 8 or 9 day cruise from Baltimore. Too bad it'd have to be on a Spirit-class ship; not enough interesting 1a cabins to suit me. Although a 5-day Canada/NE cruise on the Sunshine from NY or Boston as late in the year as possible would be great, too.

It isn't likely to be bumpy in early summer, but you're very likely to run into fog. The fog horn is...startling...until you get yourself prepared to hear it.

 

In all three cities, you can just walk around town and have a great time. They're all honest-to-goodness cities where people live and work, as opposed to the normal Caribbean tourist traps. Halifax has a wonderful boardwalk, Portland has a terrific street scene, and Saint John has lovely Victorian architecture. I love this itinerary, and hope you have a great cruise.

It's time to point out you don't have to be dressed up to have photos taken. The photographers don't care.

The only one of the three I don't like is Royal Caribbean, though I might feel differently if I didn't sail solo. There's a lot to like about Carnival, but I like NCL best of all, because they do such a good job with solo cruisers and they do best those things that are important to me on a cruise.

Certainly I don't mind meeting the cabin steward, but I also don't mind if s/he has better things to do than make a point of coming to see me in my cabin. Chances are good they know who I am, anyway.

I've never used MegaBus to New York, mostly because I don't know how they'd handle a week's worth of cruise luggage, and I don't want to start my vacation crawling around the belly of a bus where luggage is usually stored. I don't know whether or not the driver will do that on an intercity bus service.

 

Taxi fare from your drop off point of 7th and 28th shouldn't be much more than $15 or so.

Coop's Place.

It'll still be warm in the Canada/NE itineraries in September (think 50s and 60s), unless you think those temperatures are too cold for your liking. I don't think that's cold by any means, but you best know your comfort level. It's a great itinerary, though. Everybody should do it at least once. Unless you're me, and do it over and over.

It's all down to personal taste. I like NCL's MDR food, but there's a lot more to an MDR experience than food for me and the way I'd like to cruise. I'd rank the cruise lines I've experienced as follows:

Carnival by a pretty wide margin. It's been a few years, but I loved their food. Pretty good with solo cruisers.

NCL is next. Very good food, excellent service. Knows how to treat solo cruisers.

A big drop to Royal Caribbean. Average MDR food, not good service unless at a shared table. Has no idea how to treat solo cruisers. Was alternatively butt-kissed and utterly ignored at various points, whenever I ate alone.

Cunard: disliked the venue at first glance, and one miserable lunch with miserable people and miserable service put me off the place for the entire crossing. The buffet place was great, though.