johnlatte

How far in advance can you book a cabana at Labadee? We are in an OS next summer. Is emailing the concierge the only way to book? I thought I saw that you could do it online, but the only option I have is the beach bed.

TIA

I've read that some lines keep the buffet open 24 hours.

NCL has O'Sheehans (or Blue Lagoon). It is open 24 hrs. Has really good pub type food.

We sailed on the Dawn in June. It was far from dirty, we saw crew daily painting, varnishing and repairing the ship. There were a couple of restrooms in the public spaces that were always out of order and I know of at least one that overflowed out into the hallway near the theatre. I know that some of the ladies room's stalls showed rust and broken parts. Other than that, I didn't see anything at all that would cause a concern. My biggest complaint about the Dawn was the out of control smoking. It was bad. Both sides of the pool and all of the terrace area up to the Bimini. We had a suite on Deck 12 and you could smell it all the way back to our suite. Looking past that, though the ship is fine and very comfortable. The crew did seem a bit overworked and I connect that to the UDP and UBP so hopefully they get a break soon. You'll have a good time on the Dawn. Don't worry at all.

95% of your cruise will be identical to everyone else on board. There are plenty of included dining options, so you will still have variety. All the entertainment except one show is included. All ports can be wandered and explored on your own for no charge.

 

Bingo? The prizes are stupid. Wait until you are 85 years old and play at a community center.

 

Spa? It's comical how overpriced these are when most mid-sized cities in the country have at least one good spa, and large cities have several.

 

Bottled water? Bring a refillable bottle. The ship's water is just fine to drink, or you can haul your own on, but no need to bother.

 

There is no reason to pay a single dime to still have a completely full, amazing trip. Since you have the UBP and are prepaying DSC, you can without a doubt have a $0 balance.

^^^^^^^ This

Thanks for the info! Do you think the DCL would still be good for my 13,13, and 12 year-olds? They are all boys, and my daughter will be 6. I just don't know what my boys will do? I have to say the pools on the Wonder on DCL look lame :(. And I do love the "magic" of Disney...so I know we will love the nightly shows...but sorry...the other cruise entertainment looks so cheesy to me! I hope I'm wrong!:D

I have 2 daughters that are both 15 (now), we sailed in January on DCL. They had a good time, but really didn't get into the characters or clubs at all. They haven't been to the clubs since they were little. I don't make them go if they don't want to, as it is their vacation as well. I think that unless they are really active in the clubs and hang with the other kids, their is not a lot that is really geared to their age group on DCL. Younger kids for sure, but after about 10-12 it gets harder for them to be entertained. On of my daughters saw every movie that they played in the theater. We just came back from Bermuda on the Dawn, they had a better time, mainly because we were off the ship. There was less for them to do on the ship, but the minded less, because we could spend as much time on shore as we wanted. Our next cruise is on the Getaway and I think that there will be plenty to keep them entertained. I did an apples to apples comparison between DCL, NCL and RCI for a western 7 day next summer, DCL was the most expensive followed by NCL and then RCI, but when you factored in the UDP and UBP it was a no brainer.

I was on a cruise a couple of years back where there was a group of twenty-somethings drinking and yelling "Yolo" every now and then. I thought to myself "wow that is annoying" as I was siting there having my drinks.

 

Next day I was laughing as I saw the same group nursing their hangovers. :cool:

I've done my share of shooters, so I can't help but laugh every time the question gets asked.

I'm on a western, and there have been no changes, and I see all excursions...who should I complain to? :rolleyes:

What's the White Hot Party like? Location - on deck? Music? Do people dress up? Do they buy the t-shirts?

 

I'm cruising with my teens and mother in law in a few weeks, and they are planning on bringing white to wear... it would help to know more of what to expect.

 

Many thanks.

We were on the Dawn (in Bermuda)

and they had it around the pool. It was a good party, didn't really last all that long, but it was well attended. The cruise staff handed out glow necklaces to everyone. I don't think that the sell the t-shirts anymore thought. If it is a glow party (some ships do that) get some clothes that look good under black lights.

We booked late July of 2016 and Costa Maya was already on there. But also have Harvest Cay on our list. Maybe a substitute?

If you check my sig, you'll see I've cruised all three lines that you are considering. With kids that age, you can't go wrong with DCL if it fits your budget. I don't see a ton of difference between RCI and NCL in te overall scheme. I do like the more laid back atmosphere of NCL over RCI. I like being able to eat when I want and where I want. I like the suite life of NCL over both RCI and DCL. The specialty restaurants offer better variety, but Palo and Remy on DCL are over the top special. I can cruise top line in a suite on NCL and pay for excursions for what a balcony room on DCL costs. There are more adult oriented activites on NCL and RCI than on DCL (in my opinion). When my kids were young DCL was a magical thing. Now they just like to cruise, so I go for value and that's what keeps me coming back to NCL.

Can you get shots of liquor on the UBP or just mixed drinks? I have a friend that likes to do drink size jager bombs. I know it's strange but he just likes jager with energy drink in a mixed drink. He plans to buy UBP, get the shots and pour his energy drink that he brings on board into the drink. is this allowed? some places don't allow shots to be ordered on the packages so just want to see if anyone knows about this. thanks for your help.

YOLO...all the shots your bud can pack away!!!

Cancel and rebook. You'd lose anything that might be offered now that isn't offered under the new promo though.

Will be sailing on the Getaway 9/19 with my sister (26) and my kids (16)(18) and I have a few general questions hopefully someone can answer.

 

1. Why does everyone keep mentioning taking bottled water on board? Is the regular tap water not tasty? Is there another reason? I find that people are really peculiar about their water. I bring a nalgene bottle and get ice from the room steward, I never schlep water on board.

 

2. Is my 18 yo allowed to gamble in the Casino? Yes

 

3. Since going in September and most schools just getting started, will there be many kids the age of mine there? Anyway to find out how many are expected? There will be some, there's always kids on board regardless of the time of year. I don't believe you can find out in advance though how many kids will be there.

4. How do you go about keeping your room and fridge cool while you are not in your room since you need your key card to keep it all activated? Not affected by the card key switch. Note though that I have never seen one keep things really cold

5. Still no lobster dinners? Only in some pasta from the buffet

 

6. Should the waterslides be one of the 1st things we do once on board due to the long lines later, and all week or is there a good time to take advantage of those? Same goes for the wall and ropes. Waterslides usually do not have a big wait time since they move people through pretty quickly. Ropes course definitely need to get going on it as soon as possible. I believe that they open at 10:00a most days, so get there at 9:30.

 

7. Now, this is a silly question... My whole family needs a fan to sleep at night just for the noise (i know, crazy). When cruising with Royal, we were able to ask for a fan in our room and they obliged. Does NCL do special requests like that or do I have to bring my own with me. If we were allowed to sleep with the balcony door open, that would help, but I understand we cannot. No noise equals 4 sleepless cranky people. lol.

 

That's all I can think of right now. Thanks so much for your help.

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This was my very first cruise in 2007. It could be we had no expectations but we loved it. We really didn't spend much time on the ship except to sleep because the itinerary is so busy.

 

Being in a port every day we would be up early and exhausted by the time we got back on the ship. We did not see any entertainment. We would eat dinner and then just spend time on the balcony until we went to bed.

 

We thought the food was good and I had no problem with the room steward. If you want to gamble, there is no casino but we don't gamble anyway.

 

I think I would do the cruise and then follow with the land vacation. You will need to relax if you do everything we did.

 

If I ever did a Hawaiian cruise again, it would be on this ship.

This is absolutely the best summation of the POA. We sailed in 2008 (our second ever cruise). We were the first off and last on every day. Had enough time to shower, get dinner and crash out for the next day. I don't think we ever saw one show (if there were any). We did have problems with the room steward and had to get the hotel director involved, but after that it was fine. We flew back to Kauai afterwards for another week. I'd go again, especially now that I have more cruises under my belt.

...

Hi all!

 

 

Also, any suggestions on where to hang out? Bars, areas of the ship? We are 29 and 31 years old.

 

Also, any advice on necessities to pack would be helpful too!

 

Thanks in advance!

First, let me say that the average age of most passengers on the Dawn is upwards of 50. (I qualify for sure) Not a bad thing at all, but just be aware that it has a certain vibe that goes along with a bit older crowd.

To me the best bars on the Dawn are Gatsby's and Pearly Kings. The pool bars, Topsider's and Bimini get pretty crowded especially with the UBP promo going on. You may find that you have to wait to get served at either bar. I particularly like the terrace area above the pool. If you can secure a seat there, you don't have a lot of traffic in front of you and you can see what is going on at the pool or look at the ocean. The Dawn has pool deck BBQs on some sea days and the food is really pretty good. If they don't have a BBQ they put out a pasta bar, just okay.

I thought the shows were pretty good especially Elements and Band on the Run. I think the magician and the acrobatic couple were just okay.

For packing..this is the best part of NCL. It's freestyle so you don't have to dress up at all if you don't want, or you can go all out. I usually wear a camp shirt and either a pair of khakis or shorts to dinner. The wife doesn't dress up either. It is really very resort casual.

Bermuda is a great spot for a first timer, simply because there is a lot to do, and you don't have to rush back to the ship except the last day. You'll have a great time. I will be going back again in the future I hope.

The good: The line produces a fine product. I've sailed both RCI and NCL and over all prefer NCL because of the laid back atmosphere and generally better itineraries. The service has always been great, and I can sail in better accommodations (suites, Haven etc.) for better value than I can on RCI.

The Bad: The company seems to be in a state of transition. There have been several changes to policies, prices etc. in the last 6 months that have many people upset. The latest row is now about changing port times without notifying guests of these changes and/or the thought process behind them. That seems to be the number one issue; the total lack of communication surrounding these changes. This has upset "the faithful" that are most vocal on this board. I was pretty ambivalent in regards to most of these changes (don't use room service, had no problems with DSC increases), however short changing customer by shorting port times, may be the last straw for me. I sail primarily for the ports of call, not necessarily the ships. So this is a big deal in my book. Overall I still think NCL offers the best value, but I am starting question the onslaught of changes the company is making without clearly communicating the vision of the company's future.

No one will notice. I have never seen anyone get carded to get into or stay in spice h2o on Getaway or Epic.

 

Don't let Smokey wreck your chances of enjoying some family time. They sound like a real joy to cruise with asking crew members to card people.:cool: Notice first post......I call troll

They have a point....

I am a wine drinker and wondering if I am better buying the UBP that is on sale? I also enjoy diet soda when I am out around the pool. Any thoughts?

It really depends on how much wine you can drink. I drink a fair amount on vacation, so for me it works out. If you think you can drink 5-6 glasses of wine and a couple of sodas a day, every day, you probably will come out ahead. NCL typically pours are small for wine. I usually ask for a long pour at dinner simply because it is easier than trying to flag the waiter down for more.

Thanks all, I appreciate the feedback. If there is any think else that I should know/consider please send them my way.

yes it is mandatory, however you can go to guest services and have it removed or reduced. The 18% is charged on drinks, regardless if you have UBP or not.

I've not been on the Getaway yet, but all other NCL ships that we have sailed on, has a dinner reservation desk, usually connected to Guest Services. So you only have to go to one spot to make all the reservations, not each restaurant. Even doing them late, you shouldn't have a problem getting them. You might not get your first choice of times, but I've never seen any of the specialty restaurants completely full, even with the UDP promos. Getaway might be different, but I don't think it would be.

We are sailing on the Getaway on a Western, next summer to celebrate my girls 16th birthdays. We are pretty familiar with the NCL suite life on the smaller ships (Sun, Dawn, Jewel POA), but decided to go all in and book in the Haven. We are looking forward to having the less crowded spaces and extra perks that the Haven brings. But since this is our first time and our first time on the Getaway, I have some (okay a lot) questions. Hopefully I can get some good feedback the pros. Thanks in advance for helping plan this special trip.

Can illusionarium be booked through the Concierge or Pre-Concierge? If not, can it be booked online and what is the window for doing so.

Do I need to book other shows/dinner in advance or can the Concierge do that for me? Typically I let them know what restaurants and what times and let them do the rest. We usually sit in the concierge section for shows, is there anything different we have to do on the Getaway?

Is having access to the Haven courtyard better than a Vibe pass? I really want to try the Vibe, but it there isn’t a lot of difference, then I don’t need to spend the $$.

I've read that the Haven pool, at times, can be overrun with kids and that it gets loud and disruptive and isn't well patrolled by NCL..True?

How’s the Entourage on the Getaway for the teenagers? Both of my girls are turning 16. Neither have been big on the clubs since they were little. (They’ve been cruising since they were 7). They usually go once and never go back. They really don’t have a problem entertaining themselves, but I really would like for them to participate more and branch out a bit more socially.

I've read reviews that say LaCucina isn't very good on the Getaway. It is one of our favorite restaurants on the ships. Anyone have thoughts on this?

I know how tipping works for the butler and concierge, but is their other staff in connection to the Haven that should be considered for tips?

We rarely book excursions through the ship as we don’t like the herding aspects. I like going off and doing our own thing or using private vendors. We got the $75 excursion credit as a perk. Any outstanding excursions offered by the ship for stops in Roatan, Costa Maya or Cozumel? We love beach days and snorkeling from the shores. I’d rather not leave $300 of credit on the table (I’m cheap like that), but if the ship’s excursions aren’t worth it, then I will start researching alternatives.

Thoughts on Harvest Caye being ready by July? I know that they say February(?), but are things on track?

Thanks again for any helpful feedback!

Heck I just today cancelled a western carib on another line and booked on the Getaway for next July. Yeah the changes suck, but cruising with NCL is still a good deal. I got a 2bd suite in the Haven with all the perks and TA cred, for just about what I had in two balconies on the other line. Better itinerary if the new private stop comes online. Plus it will be our platinum cruise and the kids birthday.

Do they have "Splenda" on NCL?

They have yellow, blue and pink packages, but if you look closely they are all the same inside. I bring my own.

Also the unsweet tea on the Dawn is really good. I had tea on another ship on another line and it was nasty, so I had to brew my own. But this tea was really good. Don't drink soda anymore, so this was very welcomed.