valleyvillage

Stayed in the 2 bedroom one before the refurb in 2018, I think. Spent time in the one bedroom one on a cabin crawl. They are gorgeous! Did not miss the balcony. The two floor plans have different feels. The two bedroom is more cave-like and deeper. The 1 bedroom more spacious feeling. The second bedroom is handy. The service is extra special since they are DOS. Bon Voyage!

I was truly surprised by the care and attention from the people who organized the crawl and participated in it. Many had snacks! And in each cabin there were envelopes and you would choose one at random. Each envelope contained a card and at the end of the crawl you tried to make the best poker hand. Everyone had contributed to a pot and that went to the winner, who turned out to be the people who had organized it! We were in the Deluxe Owner's Suite on the Star and when we saw the hands they refused to take the money so it went to the next best hand. So much fun!

Thank you for this great idea for a post, so positive and goodhearted!

On 6/5/2020 at 6:23 AM, kodos said:

I have a routine going back all the way to when the Star class was brand new that I spend my pre dinner time in the spa

Oh, yeah! First NCL cruise when she was doing Hawaii and I discovered that Spa. Free, no less! I fell in love with the hot and cold plunges in the men's wet room. And that view. And now she has the heated tile loungers so it was worth every penny for the Panama Canal cruise.

Loved Bliss and Joy! I know it's odd but I really like Joy not having the spa because I save money! 

I was on the Star for two weeks and never had a problem getting Vegan (or Vegetarian if I was in a cheatin' mood!) and never ate at the buffet, only specialty restaurants. At every meal they verified their information (supplied by the access desk) and asked if I had any other concerns. And the food was delicious!

I'm just happy to see your posts because I can't get enough of that dog!

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/profile/1108545-all-ready2cruise/

Not only is there a steam and sauna, there is a snow room! And a salt room. And this thing called a Vitality Spa that you just have to see to believe. Love that spa!

Yes, they did flip La Cucina and Le Bistro. We love both restaurants and would usually get a table in the wine cellar area. It's too noisy out there now so we go inside. 

I am so happy to see a new tipping thread! It cheers me up no end. I'm not kidding. 

When in The Haven I do tip extra because I see the same bartender and server. I have had them ignore an upcharge for some of the high end liquors, maybe the tipping helps. But I have never felt pressured to tip.

Tipping is such a private and personal matter that often people will argue their take on it with great vehemence! And some strange logic. If you are ok with rough language, the anti tipping scene in Reservoir Dogs is pretty funny.

The house potatoes are really good. You can ask for them crispy!

We really got to know Cagney's on our last Joy cruise. The Haven Restaurant was closed and we had our breakfasts and lunches in Cagneys, but with the Haven Restaurant staff. We were given dinners at any specialty restaurants for no extra charge. We got to enjoy the morning stroll to Cagney's. When dining there it was the usual Cagney's staff and they were delightful. I'm a vegetarian and they always enjoyed finding some alternatives for me. 

For me it is worth every penny if it is the full Haven. If on the small ship non-haven suite it just fine. For us the main thing is the breakfast and lunch. 

https://youtu.be/pZxBxilmGL0

Yes this is the new terminal!

Looks like the couch pulls open and a bed drops from the ceiling. I hope this helps! She's a great ship.

12 hours ago, Royals Carol said:

Is it handicapped accessible?

I cruised on Joy using my walker/rollator and did not encounter any major problems. I hope you get to have a great cruise!

One butler, upon learning that I didn't like the pretend champagne, brought me a bottle of the real stuff. The people in the DOS didn't want it! 

Another saw me trying to wheel my mother across a crazy intersection in Puerto Vallarta and he came running over to help. He was in his civvies and I didn't even realize who it was until he greeted us. 

Thank you, Mother. 

1 minute ago, 4774Papa said:

One old ship in the fleet that we also don't care much for is the Star, which doesn't have the aft bar just outside the buffet, like the Sun, Jade or Gem.

 

The Star is our favorite ship. When they refurbished her in 2018 they put in the aft bar just outside the buffet, Spice H20. It's a fun place to relax.

And thank you so much for asking that question. It gave me a reminder that a ship can be so beautiful and a cruise may someday be possible.

Paywall. Can you summarize?

This reminds me of when you get a form letter where mail merge goofed up and it reads "Dear FirstName LastName"

16 hours ago, All-ready2cruise said:

It depends what type of OBC; if non-refundable (offered by NCL) then no. If, however, it's offered by a TA, it's possible.  The OBC being offered for new bookings right now, it's a hard no.  

Sorry for bad news.  The good news is, the sun was shining when I was out earlier.  🙂

Be safe, take care. 

Your dog is beautiful!

I think this is that cabin and it has a curtain.

Love love love that spa. Because it's not one of the super fancy ones like on Bliss, it doesn't get crowded. The wet area for the men has one of my favorite features, a cold and a warm plunge. It's great to get baked in the steam or sauna and then drop into the icy water! I don't believe that they have that in the ladies' area.

And it now has the heated tile loungers!

Have a wonderful cruise. 

On 4/10/2020 at 7:02 AM, gafor4 said:

celebrating hubby's retirement from a career in law enforcement

Congratulations! 

We just told our butler what we wanted and the steward made them up or not as the occasion demanded.