alreadypacked

Loving the review and pictures!

Thanks for posting!

We quit last year. If your main reason for sticking with Carnival has been service, relaxation, and superior food, we've really enjoyed Celebrity and Holland America. I know they sound like opposites, but on the qualities just mentioned, they feel much closer to a Carnival+, than let's say Royal Caribbean. We liked RCCL for the most part, but the food was inferior, and there was a snobbish subculture we had to learn to ignore. We're hoping that MSC is a happy medium between quality and fun ship activities.

Royal has a lot to offer in terms of activities, shows and entertainment (loved the ice skating show especially), but I agree, their food is severely inferior. It's the one thing that keeps me from booking Royal.

We even liked our interior cabin on older ship Liberty of the Seas... But the food :(

I don't cruise for the food, but since I'm there for 7 (or more) days, I want it to be good!!

Very true in my opinion. In fact declining food quality is the reason we left Carnival for NCL. I've only been on NCL Getaway and NCL Escape, but the food on both ships is phenomenal, with many more options then Carnival. If Carnival stepped up their food quality in the MDR and Lido back to what it was 9 or 10 years ago, we'd book Carnival again. But I'm not gonna hold my breath.

Agree wholeheartedly!

And I'm dealing with food allergies now, and want the extra (non-buffet/fast food) food venues that other lines (like NCL) offer, so that I have more food options.

Thank you, Shadowmeboy for another awesome review!!!

Following!!!!!

Good morning fellow cruisers! DH and I are new to NCL, doing the majority of our sailings on Celebrity. I have been scouring the CC NCL threads for tips and reviews and I have noticed an unpleasant theme. Many people comment on the service and food, especially in the MDR as being mediocre to poor. While I am aware of differences in opinions, I cannot help but be worried as food and service is high on my list of cruise priorities. Surely NCL would not continue to be able to build multi million dollar products without some redeeming qualities. And please don't tell me to go back to Celebrity. I am not bashing the NCL product...my next 2 cruises our in Jewel and Bliss...I am just a bit perplexed as to how so many have poor experiences with dining. Perhaps they are the only vocal ones?

 

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OP, I have sailed NCL Getaway and Escape in the last two years and loved the food (I realize your sailings are on different ships.). Looking forward to my upcoming cruise on Getaway again!

I have also sailed Celebrity Solstice and Silhouette and loved the food!

Someone recently posted a wonderful Menu and Food Pictures review from their recent NCL Escape sailing. Check it out. While not your ship (and you won't be able to taste the food, of course) it'll give you an idea of choices available, presentation etc.

Here's the link:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2644046&highlight=food

Welcome to NCL!

I have always used the pre-order option, which has worked very well, except on my last cruise, where they kept serving me green beans on my plate. The first 2 times I pushed them to the side...the 3rd time, I said something. I also don’t want to be a problem, but I have learned to speak up, because I also want to enjoy my cruise. I tend to order everything plain, nothing fried, no sauces, because I don’t trust anything used where I can't see the ingredients. In the buffet I stick to salads, hard boiled eggs, oatmeal...I’m talking real basic foods. My heart goes out to those who need the epi-pen. I breakout in horrible hives, which is a burden, but not life threatening.

Hi bacm. I suddenly became allergic to crustacean shellfish in my early forties. :(

I get self-conscious about it and hate to be a problem to the waitstaff or my dining companions as well.

My initial allergic reaction was horrible hives all over my body. I went to an allergist, got allergy tests, and blood tests which confirmed immunoglobulin E antibodies to crustaceans in my system.

My allergist immediately prescribed an epinephrine auto-injector which I carry at all times.

I mention this because severe hives can be a precursor to anaphylaxis, which can be life-threatening.

Me too. Great start!

No worries at all. I always have my Benadryl and Epi-pens with me at all ports due to the fact that I unfortunately have a potentially life-threatening food allergy.

Thank you to OP and respondents for posting this new information!

I looked at the NCL website however and only find info referencing the ability to book dining/entertainment reservations at 90 days out.

My final payment is still 90 days prior to sail date, as I booked last year. Is it possible my sailing doesn't qualify for booking dining reservations at 120 days prior?

If anyone has an NCL website link for this new booking window can you please post it?

Thanks!

One thing that wasn't perfect was my bladder. I had to go again. It was the coffee and Pret's decent water that did it. We stopped at one of those outside glorified port a potties to check it out. I opened the door, peeked in, then immediately shut it! I can only say that if the devil has a vacation home, that was absolutely it! If not the devil himself, then his cousins, nephews, and baby momma lived in that potty! Whew. Fast pass. I will never have to go that bad. I’ll wait. Jesus be a café close by!

 

From there we hopped on the train again towards the Catacombs. When we got there, we saw a few cafes, and we ducked into one to use the facilities. The "ladies room" was a closet so small that I had to get in, then turn to the side to close the door. There was no room for me to look down, so I just hovered, and hoped for the best! I don't see how the building inspectors passed this as a restroom. We have cereal boxes that are bigger. Once that deed was done, we looked back over at the line to enter the Catacombs. It was way too long and it really wasn't moving. I was never totally thrilled about the idea of going down there to see 6 million people buried underground anyway, so we skipped it. It creeps me out just thinking about it. Le Ewww.

 

Loving the review, as always!

Hear you on that porta-potty situation!

Love travel, but braving rough-bathroom facilities is always tough for me.

It is careless, but I think most people live in fear of this. It can happen to anyone if you are not careful. One cruise, my wife and I had our passports (or so I thought) set out, and were getting ready to go. Just before we left the house, I checked the passports one last time. Somehow we had our two sons' passports. One of us had grabbed the wrong two passports off of the desk. If we had not checked, we would have missed the cruise. Always triple check!

Good point.

Triple check.

Have read posts years back from people who grabbed the "wrong" family member's passport, thinking it was their own.

Loving the review!!

Thanks for posting!

Good to know. Thank you Steamboats for your reply.

My family gets upset with me when I ask them twice if they have their passports. Beats that alternative!

I don't just "ask"...

Everyone SHOWS their passports in the car BEFORE we pull out of the driveway...

We also double check that nothing was left in the car/van/bus/whatever when we get out at the port!

Beats the alternative agreed!

I had the pleasure to be onboard the Carnival Horizon for 3 nights (first part of the regular 7 night cruise). Here´s my detailled photo review starting with part 1 - ship deck 1 to 9. The text is in German but a translation is not really needed due to the many photos. Anyway you can try out google translate. More parts are to follow over the next days.

 

steamboats

Thank you for the wonderful review!

Question about the "intelligent elevators"?

I have a family member who is claustrophobic and sometimes needs to get out of an elevator before reaching her destination floor. In these instances, she will press the button of the approaching floor (if not already pressed) and exit.

For instance, if she got on the elevator at Deck 5 in order to go to Deck 14, is there a way to stop the elevator and get off at, say, Deck 9 if that floor had not already been requested?

Finding your review a little late, but loving it!!

Thanks for posting--will be following!

Eventually we reached the last waterfall (#1). You can jump from the top. Or they let you climb down the middle and jump from wherever you wanted. Or you could take the stairs down. Here is my husband jumping in.

 

 

7V3nWo9l0ok

 

And here is a picture of us.

 

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We still had to hike back to the main area. It was very very muddy. And you had to cross the river again.

 

We returned our equipment, tipped our guides that work at the falls and then headed to get lunch. The lunch was salad, rice, fruit, beans, dirty rice, some kind ofs eafood pasta, and jerk chicken and pork (and hot dogs I think). It was actually very very good. My husband went up for more. They also had rum and cokes or just coke or water.

 

 

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We eventually got on the bus and headed back to the port. They kept an eye on the time and got us there right when they said they would. They provided more drinks for the short ride back.

 

 

 

Iguana Mama was a great company and I would definitely recommend them for any of the tours they do. This one was great. It was one of the highlights of our cruise. I would recommend you be in decent physical shape and not extremely afraid of heights. I did have some bruises afterwards. But it was worth it. ;) I also would recommend hiring the “paparazzi” . Looking at my pictures I wish I would have done that.

Wow!

Just wow!

Loving the review and photos and videos!

But I will live vicariously through you--never in a million years would I have the nerve to jump off waterfalls, hike along cliffs etc!

Kudos to you and your DH!

OP, thanks for continuing your review--really enjoying! Been a while since I've been to Dunn's River Falls. Your pictures are so beautiful and sharp.

We stopped last week in Atigua on the Gem. I just cannot understand why they would choose that port to dock at?

The view from our balcony was sad, nasty and disgusting. It left me angry. I am sure a rundown large shack with 11 dogs (yes we counted them) on the water, with 2 half sunk small rusty boats in front of the back yard, is quite normal in their country. But for visitors it is not.... especially the 11 dogs that are very skinny, I am sure are not spayed/neutered, have lack of water & shelter.

 

We ventured ashore & it's close to the hassling locals you get in Nassau. 3 guys with baby monkeys, one guy squeezing a monkey by it's stomach, as he is walking around. "Taxi, taxi.... braiding, braiding..... trip, trip!" NOOOOO!

 

Nice tourist shops & we see 2 more dogs laying on the beautifully paved sidewalks. Both obviously having given birth sometime recently & one bleeding from it's backside. One of my daughters poured water for one of them & it lapped it up. Other one I was petting & it was very friendly, but did not look in good shape & coat was coarse. To them I guess it is just part of their life though. But if they would just spay them, this cycle could stop. The pups are probably dead somewhere.

 

Sigh.

 

I know you can take a cab or excursion to a beach over the other side. I won't get off the ship if we stop there next time, unless it is to do something to support/help the local animals. Not supporting locals who do not care.

I've been a volunteer at my local animal shelter here in Florida for 5 years.

Our shelter works with shelters in Puerto Rico and other Caribbean islands. Shelters there are severely cash-strapped. It's not that local residents don't care, but resources are limited for the human population and the animal one. Many residents struggle just to keep a (very basic) roof over their family's head and food in their stomachs.

I am fortunate enough to be able to donate my time and money to an animal shelter.

Additionally, many islands were hit hard last year by hurricanes. Here's one article about what stateside organizations including my shelter have done to help:

https://www.aspca.org/news/aspcas-response-hurricane-maria

This is all very interesting. I haven't been to Antigua for several years but the three times I was there, felt it was safe, clean and charming with all of its British history.

Same here. But haven't been there since 2009. Hard economic times in many places now though...

Went to a beautiful beach near the Sandals resort. Sand was like sugar.

Also keep in mind that even if you pay the fare to book a specific cabin, the cruise line can still "upgrade" you without any notification.

 

This has happened to us several times and in each case we do not think the upgrade was anything we wanted or liked.

 

If you book a specific cabin, mark your reservation as "do not upgrade." This doesn't mean that you might still be moved for some valid reason, but it cuts down the possibility of it happening.

I know Princess does that, and I always make sure the booking agent notes "do not upgrade", but I didn't realize NCL does this too. I pick the exact cabin I want and would be upset if they changed it without my consent.

What I've observed is that some of these cruise ship port beaches are man-made "beaches" in brackish water areas where no natural "beach" existed previously.

Water may be "brownish" because it is often subject to a fresh water source/runoff from a nearby river, swamp etc.

Growing up by the open Atlantic Ocean, mangrove/brackish water/man-made beaches tend to fall short for me too.

Not all cruise passengers hail from coastal areas though... maybe cruise lines think man-made "beaches" will cut-it for the others...

Following! Thanks for posting!

I read about a couple who missed their cruise because the tote bag containing their passports was stolen from their rental car. Ever since then I take my passport with me when stopping at a rest area, just in case.

Agreed!

My passport and other important documents as well as my Epinephrine Injector are always in my long-strapped purse worn across my body.

Lol when we get in the car to leave for our trip I make everyone show me their I’d and passport I don’t care how old they are. They are used to it now and just hold them up.

 

 

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I do exactly this too!!!!