mary2e

You do realize I never said tee-shirt and shorts, right? I said neat shorts and a top. There is a difference.

If you prefer to dress, that's great - for you. I'm looking for somewhere that would allow us to both be happy without either feeling uncomfortable.

I can deal without using the MDR. To respond to some of the comments about affluence and which lines to use, well, money is not the issue. Our general rule is that if somewhere doesn't want us as we prefer to vacation, they don't want our money either. We don't travel in "those circles" intentionally and really don't want to. Country clubs are anathema to us. As are charity luncheons/dinners.

That is why I'm looking for a ship/line that will accommodate our desires without looking down their noses at us. If cruising isn't for us, well, we'll just keep spending our money elsewhere.

Thank you for all the opinions!

Thank you again to everyone. Looks like I may be doing a bit more research as the options appear to be more viable for us.

Wow... thank you. Things certainly have changed. Re: the pool - yes, it was closed at dinner time :)

Anyway, what are the thoughts about Crystal and the other higher end lines?

We've taken 1 cruise, and it was almost 20 years ago. While we love being at sea, we do not love the rules & regulations. For example, I wanted to sit by the pool and read after 6pm - which isn't allowed. At the time, the pools closed as people got ready for dinner. Is that still the case? Do we have to eat at an assigned time? Make a reservation?

We also do NOT want to dress more than casually - and by that I mean the dressiest would be neater shorts and a top. This is the main reason we have not cruised again. I looked into NCL's The Haven, it is pricey, but appears to meet our needs.

Are there any other lines we can/should look into?

It really is a shame that I haven't been able to find anything that does not have specific formal or even semi-formal evenings. For us, this is vacation and that means being casual and just doing what we like, when we like.

Thank you!! That sounds excellent, and reasonable too!

Hey, we just got home from Breakaways sister ship Getaway! I cannot answer any Haven questions, we always do a balcony or suite. I was able to use the internet anywhere on the ship. (I work 24/7--365 days a year). It was a little slow in our cabin...but much better than it has been in the past! You can buy a package of 250 minutes, or 100 minutes at a discount. If you are a lattitudes member you can print out a coupon that will give you some extra minutes! This last time I purchase just the 100 minute package, but ended up buying extra minutes at the 75 cent rate. Should of bought the 250 minute package. Last night of cruise, went down and put all my internet costs on my business credit card!

 

I am a very early riser, and DH likes to sleep in. I would just head to the cafe on deck 6 and buy a fancy coffee...or you can head to the Garden Buffet where there is coffee early!

 

I believe The Haven area is very nice, but I am alway afraid we will sit up there and never do anything else!

What about data access? I have to be able to use my computer to connect to the office, or my smart phone to get office email. Is there a data package?

How much was your 250 minute package?

That is not what I said. I said I don't mind a sliding scale that gets to a bigger loss of deposit as it gets closer to sailing.

I mind paying in full at 68 days and being subject to losing either all of it, or 25% of it if I have insurance AND meet their requirement for getting money back.

So no, I don't expect NCL to eat the cost of the cabin if I cancel. The same way I don't expect an airline to eat the cost of a cancelled seat. But I also don't expect to lose so much of a deposit, or all of it, if I do cancel.

As I said in my OP, perhaps cruising just isn't for me.

Thanks again.

I called NCL to get some more information and my Lattitudes number, and discovered that we were already within the 68 full payment period. I don't mind making full payment, but the cancellation policy is onerous for us - even with insurance we risk losing 25% of our deposit if we have to cancel.

They also told me that internet access is .75 per minute at the internet cafe. I asked about shipwide wifi, and the person said "the internet cafe is .75 per minute." I suspect he didn't have a clue.

We may wait until closer to sailing before making up our minds. I don't mind a cancellation policy with a sliding scale of deposit loss, but this policy is more than I'm willing to commit to.

Will keep you posted should we decide to go :)

Wow. Thank you. Things sure HAVE changed.

I will discuss with my husband. Perhaps we don't need a suite if we can get a large enough cabin and my husband can get out of the room to get his coffee. He gets up at 6am, me, well, not so much :) That's the main reason we opt for suites when we can.

Thank you very much for your very detailed responses.

We haven't cruised in years. Our first and only cruise was on the Dreamward (!!!) and while we loved being at sea, and the location of our cabin, which was on the promenade deck, we decidedly did NOT like the dress code and proscribed meal times and that is what has prevented us from cruising again.

We're thinking of booking the Breakaway to Bahamas/Florida in an H7 suite. I can't find the floor plans anywhere. Is this a true suite with a separate bedroom or just a really large room?

It appears that the Haven level is a completely different part of the ship offering more privacy and amenities.

Desires:

-casual environment - as in shorts and tops most, if not all the time

-peace and quiet to enjoy being at sea

-meals when we want - and that means not dressing for dinner besides putting on clean clothes if needed

-I tend toward motion sickness, and Bonine worked for be just fine going to/from Bermuda. Would this cabin location be problematic?

Needs:

Internet access - I need to connect to the office and also for personal business. Is there a charge? How much?

Does the Haven area have a place to go early in the morning to have coffee/etc not too far from the cabin? If that's the case, we may not need a suite, though the extra space would be nice.

What are the extra costs besides port fees? Tips? Sodas/bottled water?

I'll be the first to admit that perhaps cruising isn't for us, but I have hope that the Haven area can meet our desires and needs.

Thanks in advance... I know I asked a lot of questions and really appreciate the guidance from all you experts!