mconthehighseas

Do all ships have the portable phones?

That was fast! I'm used to waiting a day for one answer, and I got lots - thanks to all of you. Thank you John Bull, your replies make the others make more sense to me. I appreciate all the info you include. The cruise starts in Iceland, so it is international. We will be in Brugge/Bruges the day before. We arrive on a Sunday, so I'm guessing that will mean more ships in port, but I will look that up. We will be on the Norwegian Prima, which is bigger than many ships, but not the biggest. We aren't catching a plane, so we don't need to be anywhere at a specific time. So the biggest question will be when will the ship schedule us to debark, and that could get decided as late as the day before. Thank you all again

Our next cruise will end in Southampton, and we have arranged to be picked up at the terminal. Our driver wants to know what time to be there, and I am clueless. I have no idea how long it will take to get luggage, clear customs, etc. Some ports are quicker than others. With a 6 am arrival, does anyone have a recommendation for what to tell our driver? And don't worry, I will make sure s/he knows that things can change, depending on weather, world events, etc.

Thank you so much! You should really work for the cruiseline; this thread is SO helpful. Just one more question: Will we get to exit with our luggage, or will we have to play human billiards with the rest of the guests to find our bags?

I feel silly asking a question about the last day of the cruise when we haven't departed yet, but I am setting up transportation from the ship to our hotel. We are debarking in Southampton, but I am guessing this would be similar for most ports. How does getting off the ship on the last day work from the Haven? We are supposed to arrive around 6 am (!!!!) and I was thinking of telling the driver to meet us at 10 am. If you have ever cruised into Southampton, that too optimistic? I will post most of this question in the Southampton part of CC, but leaving from a suite or an area like the Haven is not like leaving from most of the ship

I'll be honest. It's been years since we cruised, and there used to be several people who had online packing lists. As strange as it sounds I purposely looked on the board for a list just like this! Will I buy all that stuff? NO WAY! But the list is a convenient way to think about what I and my family might need. Years ago, there were people who insisted that they could not cruise without a colored highlighter to mark up their daily programs. I never understood why, since a pen worked fine for me. There is a lot of good feedback on this list here, but don't be afraid to check to see if there is something that would make your cruise a better experience for you and your family. And only you can determine what that would be. Another place to check would be dollar stores! It makes no sense to pay top dollar on stuff you may or may not use. There are some videos from people who had ideas on what to get in those stores.

Hello fellow Long Islanders! I haven't been there since my family moved across country, but I hope to get back there sooner rather than later.

A concierge can get through red tape and any other issues faster than standing in line at the ship's front desk. And while they can't fix every problem, it's in their job description to grease the skids for loyal and suite passengers. Communication from the company should have happened, but that shouldnt stop the company from continuing to fix a problem, if possible

There used to be a concierge and genie list, but that was before the world changed in 2020. That said, if people would post genie info here, we could use this thread as a resource.

If you get great service from your steward, an extra tip is very nice, but not expected. If one of your party is a bit of a handful or a messy small child, you should really consider it.

It's been 4 years since we were in a 2 bedroom AquaSuite, but I don't recall any obtrusive noise from the Aqua Show. It was wonderful to watch it from our balcony, and we could come and go without having to worry about disturbing other viewers. (When you travel with children, this is important.) And there was no noticeable noise when there was no show. In fact, there were people who would go to sit in that theater to read during the day, and they had more noise from the Boardwalk directed to them.

When a major venue shuts down, they need to either provide an alternative or a price reduction. In this case, they should have made some other venue all -adult, even if it couldn't be a pool. If you have access to a concierge, I recommend insisting on a partial refund or some other compensation. If you don't have a concierge, call or visit the front desk when they are not busy. If they tell you they aren't allowed to handle this kind of request, tell them you will be happy to have someone who can handle it reach you. And don't be afraid to get others to join you.

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! We actually have cousins who married in Antigua. The groom's family still lives there and they are wonderful people. What a beautiful place it is! Wishing you a fabulous time on your cruise, at your wedding, and in your lives together :)

Is there a standard Haven snack menu, or does it vary by ship/season/itinerary/something else?

It's a shame they don't make Nespresso pods with with illy coffee.

I am new to NCL. Is babysitting offered? If they aren't providing kids club when there isn't enough children, do they then allow children in the all the finer dining ?

Thank you so much for this picture. This is incredibly helpful

THANK YOU! What color should I look for? I'm guessing I will have to talk to the check-in staff while trying to keep my party from wandering off, so having a quick way to make sure we are getting what we need would be VERY helpful.

Thank you! I was more concerned about whether I would be able to tell if I had been given the wrong type of key card at check-in, as had happened to rbxlady. Do you get the Welcome to your Sanctuary key card at check-in, or from your butler or concierge?

I haven't cruised Norwegian before. Is there a way to tell on the keycards if they for the Haven or not?

I love the idea of talking to a real person instead of trading emails. They can find out why I picked the things I did, and then can let me know whether I made decisions based on good info. And that can be worked in 5-10 minutes instead of 5-10 emails

Glad I found this thread! We will be in a Loft suite on our next cruise. Does anyone remember what kind of coffee maker will be in the room? (We will be on Allure, in case they have different machines on different ships). I know the stewards will be happy to bring us as much coffee as we want, but we do have our favorites, so I bring Nespresso pods or k-cups when that's an option

Thank you for this stellar post. It is the most comprehensive description of what a genie can do to make an ordinary cruise truly regal, and it is a good guide to what kinds of instructions to send to your genie precruise. There is a video on youtube of a couple whose genie helped them plan an onboard wedding celebration, complete with invitations. The couple was gob-smacked, as my MIL used to say. But if you can't think of anything that you want or can't decide where to ear, or you are too busy to send a note in advance, your genie will come up with an itinerary to show you on your first day, and you can make adjustments.

I hope you don't mind a stowaway on this thread! I'm going with my family on Allure out of Galveston in December (booked last week), and wanted to get tips and info about the ship when I found this. And it looks like I came to the right place!. We were on Harmony in 2018, but haven't cruised since 2019, so I'm relearning some things. Loving all the pics! Mindy

I love your attitude! I hope I get to meet you on a cruise in the near future. (Do you think you will be on the Prima next July?)