Granny DI

Our favorite is 12304!

We did the bar hop last month. We had so much fun that we plan to do it next time we visit Cozumel. Check the reviews on tripadvisor!

I have sailed on breakaway. There is huge difference in a courtyard suite on to a sky class grande suite on Royal. NCL wins hands down.

 

First off-with NCL-when you book any Haven suite you get the current promotions. they are:

Drink package-dining package- shore excursion credit-free WIFI. All included in your cruise fare. Right there is a huge enhancement. A free drink package, that includes all drinks, including frozen ones and private bar far out shines the suite lounge with limited complimentary drinks for a few hours.

 

You also get a butler.

Private Haven area with restaurant, bar, courtyard, sun deck and all of this is private. You never have to leave and never fight any crowds.

Embarkation-private area at the port that serves snacks while waiting to board. You are first on the ship and escorted immediately to the Haven where drinks and food begin.

Private escorts to shows which guarantee the best seats.

 

They have freestyle dining down to a science and we loved it. None of this pre-booking anything. When you are in the Haven-you get priority dining and never have to pre-book months in advance. The concierge will even remind you to book the restaurants that fill up so you don't miss out. IE:-Cagneys steak house and Teppanyaki {sp?];)

 

Specialty coffee maker in each suite so you don't have to go to the lounge to get one.

A concierge team-not just one. They always have time all day long and night to assist you since they are right outside the bar area at all times. Not just a few hours at a time twice a day.

 

 

I just don't see Royals sky class comparing at all. You should try NCL for yourself and then you'll know.

Thanks! Your review was excellent! Since I'm prone to seas sickness we always book the aft suites. It's a hike to the Haven but the aft suites are worth the effort. RCCL gave us nada in the Owners Suite. Coffee maker was after thought for RCCL...it had to be plugged in next to the bed and not in the dining room. Plus they had coffee packages that only makes four cups...thus you have to make 3 cups to get the right strength. There is no comparison between NCL Haven and RCL suites. Haven is the best.

RCL owns Celebrity, RCCL and Azamara. We have sailed all three numerous times. Sky Suites must be on Oasis class ships. We have not sailed in a Sky Suite on RCL.

i assumed a sky suite was a suite. Years ago we took an upgrade from a sky suite to a Royal suite on a Celebrity ship. The sky suite was just a balcony with perks. I'm just comparing full suites between the two cruise lines. We cruise in anything from an ocean view to a Haven suite.

Google Breakaway Haven Aft Suite 12304. Then Google Grand Suite on the ship you plan to sail. You'll see what I'm talking about. We prefer the Grand Suite but none were available. We got our goodies on our RCL cruise from Diamond benefits. The goodies on the Breakaway came from being in a Haven suite. We are sailing NCL this summer for 14 days in a suite. We get free internet, drinks and specialty restaurants included in the price. RCL gave us nothing other than Diamond benefits. Will sail RCL again but not in a full suite.

Can anyone who has sailed in both of these types of accommodations compare the 2 for me? I recently fell in love with RCCL sky class suites. I don't think I could go again without the perks. Are both lines apples to apples? I'm comparing future cruises and the Haven seems to be much more expensive than sky class suites. I was told NCL was the more affordable cruise line. Am I missing something? Because I see no comparison. The Haven definitely prices me out. Thanks?

 

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I just returned from Liberty of the Seas in the Owners Suite. It was the exact cost as Haven Aft Suite 12304 that we cruise every year. My DH said NO MORE suites on the RCL. We love the Haven AfT suites on NCL. We voiced our concerns and were told only the Oasis Class ships compare withe NCL Away ships.

I'm not sure your older kids would enjoy the Haven. You can have non Haven guests eat with you several times during the cruise. We only eat lunch in the Haven and specialties at night. We've sailed in Breakaway 12304 which has a connecting balcony cabin. This arrangement gives you three full baths and a huge verandah. I think that would work great with the older kids.

We have done about 35 cruises. DH won't sail Carnival. We just got off the Liberty of the Seas in an owner's suite...he hated the cabin. He said no more suites on Royal Caribbean. His favorite cabin is a Haven Aft Suite on the Breakaway. Our next cruise is on the Jade and the following will be Crystal for the first time. Saying all this he prefers NCL.

Your scaring me ...we have booked the owners suite #1340 for this April on the Liberty what do you mean by funky?

YouTube has videos of Owner's Suite, Grand Suite and Junior Suite. Personal preference is Grand Suite. There were no Grand Suites available when we booked the Owners Suite.

The Grand Suite has a better design and is cheaper. We reserved the Owners Suite for the separate shower. The Grand Suite has a combo tub/shower. The shower in the Owners suite is very small. We have booked the LOS for 2018 but chose the junior suite instead. The full suites on this class of ship don't have any special goodies anymore. All our goodies were from being Diamond. The suite lounge is not convenient. There is nothing wrong with the Owner's Suite other than value. We prefer the Haven on NCL for the same amount of money.

Just off the Liberty of the Seas. We were in the Owners Suite. Second time in an Owner's Suite. Never again in this class of ship. The design is funky....much prefer the Grand Suite. I personally would get two connecting cabins. Two bathrooms is more important than a huge cabin with one bath. We took our daughter's family on the Oasis. I got 3 Central Park view cabins. They were side by side and two were connecting. It was perfect for the seven of us...4 adults and 3 kids. I got the 3 cabins for less than the Owners Suite. JMO

We're now sailing on the RCL Liberty of the Seas in an owner's suite. My DH just told me no more suites on RCL! The only thing you get is a nice cabin. There is NOTHING special. The coffee maker was an after thought so has to be plugged in next to the bed. It only makes one cup but the only packets they have are for 4 cups...so you pour out the first two to get the right strength. We're going back to NCL. The Haven is a special place and the aft suites on the away ships are amazing. RCL hasn't figured out the Suite Life yet. We are diamond plus so our goodies come from being Diamond. There is a huge suite lounge but they don't check cards. It is nothing special like the old concierge lounges. I think RCL is cutting back in the wrong areas.

Alternative routes

In general:

1. Feeder streets on 45

2. HW 3

3. 288 to 6

4. 35 to 6

5. 146 to Gal.

6. 6 to Gal.

 

Just get past NASA Rd.

 

See your maps for your best alternative depending on where you are coming from

Just arrived in Galveston for cruise tomorrow. The traffic was a nightmare. We left Austin at 1:30 arrived in Galveston at 7:00. 290 was closed at Mason rd so we circled back and took the Grand Parkway to hwy 59/69. We took hwy 6 from 59 to 45 just north of Galveston. Lots of traffic lights and a over pass closure. It was 2.5 hours from 290 and the Grand Parkway aka Hwy 99 to Galveston. Heavy fog in Galveston.

To those of you with cruises next weekend...FEB 17 to 18....it's Mardi Gras in Galveston! In fact I think it continues the next weekend FEB 24 to 25.

We've sailed in 12304, 3 times on the Breakaway. Would never consider the Haven area because of motion sickness, size of the cabins and cost.

We usually had breakfast delivered, ate lunch in the Haven and had dinner in a specialty restaurant each night. The hike to the Haven helped with our 10k steps everyday. It's very quiet in the aft area. The aft penthouses are amazing...2 baths, separate bedroom and huge balcony. The only negative is the small living room. They are usually the cheapest BUT sell out quickly. I always book at least a year in advance to get the best price and our favorite cabin.

My motion sickness occurs at the front of any ship so always book middle to aft.

Our worst cabin steward was in an Owner's Suite. We followed all the proper channels up to Miami. Everyone followed the company line. Our TA was even involved. When we realized nothing was going to change, we just worked around the cabin steward. About three weeks later there was a post here on CC about this very same cabin steward. I could have written the post! This told me RCCL wasn't interested in solving this problem. This is the only complaint we ever made about a cabin steward. I don't see any difference in stewards from inside to Royal Suites...some are excellent, some average and one was terrible.

Okay, you guys are starting to scare me a bit. I'm new as in really new and going on my very first cruise in March. Points of reference.

 

My husband is 12 years younger than me. Will I be judged?

 

My job is tax accountant. Will I be hounded for tax advice?

 

We only speak English. Will we be snubbed?

 

My husband is a Millwright and nobody knows what it is. It is a blue collar job that pays better than mine. Will people look down their noses?

 

We are in our late forties, late fifties. Will young people treat us like creeps?

 

We are not experienced cruisers (we like road trips). Will experienced cruisers think we are not worth talking to?

 

We always make friends wherever we go. We love to travel and being open is our "Minnesota Nice" way. So a few questions...

 

Is MTD worth it to you?

How easy is it to have your dining assignment changed?

Are there other options besides room service?

 

I feel like a babe in the woods or deer in the headlights here. I have been reading the boards all day and have a lot to learn.

You are one of the YOUNG ones. We are usually seated with people in our generation. If you are assigned a table with the "baby boomers" no one will give two cents what you do for a living, your age etc. If someone brags about what they have etc..think high debt.

We've been sailing almost 20 years and have only requested one table change. We were sited at a 6 stop with a family of four. The children were very young. There was no way to have any kind of conversation as the parents were too busy with the kids. We went to the matre'd after the meal and asked to be changed. He wanted to know why the change. I said we don't enjoy dining with young children. The next night we were placed at the misfits table but had a good time. The original family was placed at an 8 top with another family of four. This is how it should have been from day 1. We have 9 grandchildren between 6 and 14 and I would not want strangers to have to eat in a fine restaurant with the younger ones. No problem with older ones.

We are not experienced cruisers but know many of you are. We've done 3 Celebrity Aqua class, one HAL where we got lucky and got a Neptune suite, and one Disney concierge. Loved all of them; DH needs a handicapped room.

 

Good friends are doing a NCL in July and want us to go along on a 7 day western Caribbean. It's not all that cheap and I've always gotten the opinion that NCL was kind of cheesy and nickel/dime sort of line. That may be TOTALLY untrue. We can't afford the Haven and I don't even want to spring for the Mini Suites.

 

Would we be happy?

I have cruised NCL In everything from a studio cabins to Haven Aft suite. I loved all the experiences. My DH and I have sailed 4 times in a Haven Aft suite on the Breakaway. We've also sailed the Pride of Hawaii twice. There are very good sales on Haven Suites after final payment. Book a cabin and then upgrade after final payment. We are sailing on the NCL Jade next summer. We are done with Celebrity for a few years. Switched our 2018 cruise from Celebrity to Crystal. Celebrity was our first choice in cruising but things have changed so time to try new ships. Worst cruise experience for us was QM2...best was the old HAL Ryndam. I think the ship and itinerary are more important than the cruiseline.

DH will only sail in the Haven on the Breakaway. We've sailed the last 3 Mays to Bermuda in an Aft Haven suite. I went to book May 2017 in our favorite suite and it had increased $1500 pp. I can't justify the cost increase. We're sailing on the Jade out of Hamburg in 2017 in an aft suite to Iceland instead of our favorite Breakaway Haven aft suite to Bermuda.

Only you can decide what is comfortable for you. Our first cruise was in a suite, but happily spent the next ten years in balconies. The Haven has driven us back to suites.

Perry Golf is a first class operation. We did the British Open Cruise when the Open was at Muirfield. My husband played golf and I did other things but attended the Open with him. We loved the experience. The saying you get what you pay for, applies here! Very expensive but worth the price!

My parents moved away from Bonner Springs after college but returned for their retirement.

Lots of bars on the Breakaway so a pub crawl would be fun.

few questions. Is this a thing? Have they done it before and no longer do and if they don't anymore why? I think it would be a blast as long as there was a limit set on the number that can participate and the time of day it was done. Thoughts?

I'm assuming from your screen name you've spent some time in Manhattan. DH and I were there from 1963 to 1969. DH grew up in Overland Park.

We've done 4 cruises on the Breakaway but never done a pub crawl. Love the Breakaway.

Any RCCL cruisers out there that took the Breakaway to Bermuda? We have the choice of Celebrity Summit or the Breakaway and since the Summit, while being refreshed is older, I am considering the newness of the Breakaway. What is holding me back is that we would be on the bottom of the barrel so to speak as far as loyalty programs go and I fear that because I am so spoiled with the loyalty program on RCCL that I might not like it. Also worried about the dining which seems to be such a process especially since the "free dining promo" is basically available to everyone. I've been loyal to Royal for so long, so anyone who can share their experience, I would so appreciate.

We are Diamond with RCCL and usually book a Grand Suite. Our favorite cruise is the Breakaway to Bermuda. We've done it the last 3 years in a Haven Aft Suite. The Breakaway wins hands down. Saying all this we're aren't taking our annual cruise to Bermuda next year as our favorite cabin has increased $1400 pp. We've also sailed the Summitt to Bermuda....its a big NO. We sailed the Summitt when she was new...just not the same anymore. We're back on RCCL in February out of Galveston. Taking the cruise because the Texas Tenors will be onboard.

Our daughter booked a trip to Turkey, and I am worried a little bit after the terrorist attacks in that country , so I spoke with her and asked if she is sure about this trip.

She said; do you cancel your trip to Miami after what happend in Florida a few weeks ago ?

 

The answer is No ! I don,t want terrorism to rule my life

 

My thoughts are with the people in Nice [emoji632]

There is a military coup happening in Turkey at this moment.