roger001

Does NCL charge to use the showers and locker room?

No, not on the ships we've been on.

I agree. A tasting that includes any of these beers is something that I would just assume avoid (except for that Alaskan oatmeal stout)

 

And I'm not sure the Alaskan Brewery beers are even stocked except for the Alaska runs and some left over on the PC cruise back to Miami. On the last PC cruise, I just bought several buckets of Alaskan brews to keep in the room incase they ran out of stock. They are the only decent beers NCL usually has....although I have on rare occasion seen a Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout.

I love NCL...but the beers that are usually are on board will not excite your taste buds.

Must be on a previous thread, but answer to the question is....

NCL stock symbol is NCLH and closed yesterday for just under $25 a share.

The entire 10 am morning briefing done each day by Capt. Lars.

You have to use an online photo album. I use Shutterfly. I just copy and paste them to the post.

Oh....ok...Thanks.

Aquahound. How do you post the pictures? Evertime I do it, all I get is thumbnails.

While I appreciate your honest thoughts, this is all subjective so far. I really like the hand painted art work on the NCL ships and find it a "happy" experience. Also, we are fans of the Mini suites, having stayed in them numerous time. They work just right for us. The balcony...well is a balcony. We enjoy hanging out on it and even chatting with neighbors. Again....I know your thoughts are legit....but they are thoughts that have never occurred to us. But that's what make the world go around I guess. The pics make me want to get on another cruise again....now. Thanks for you report.

I will assume, in addition to speaking to the supervisor about trash on the balcony, you did direct the room steward's attention to it while he/she was in your room . "Hey Phil, there's some trash on the balcony right there. Would you mind stepping out there next time you're doing our room and take care of that please. Thanks." If he/she didn't then do so, I regret you had an attendant that isn't up to the standards of all we've had.

You can't go wrong with NCL and the Freestyle concept, and I think your kids will like that part of it. Less formality and structured dining and many other eating and snacking options readily available. And NCL suite service is excellent so you'll enjoy that. The larger ships (Epic and beyond) will of course have much more to do and see on board. However, the other ships are fine also. With all the other type vacations you have already done, only by trying a cruise will you know if a cruise is right for you and the family. NCL is an excellent choice and nothing wrong with the Dawn. However, research the other ships and see what other options one of them mught offer. The Pearl has a bowling ally and rock climbing wall for instance, other ships vary slightly. You've got plenty of time to change if you wish.

Thank you for that. The difference right now is thirty per person. It is on the Epic, I forgot to mention that before.

Looking at the pictures from the other post, I would not consider an Epic hull balcony. I'm like another said, I love to sit and look off the balcony at the ocean going past.

On the Pearl recently, a dress code was clearly posted at the podium or entrance to all the dining rooms. Additionally, the dress code for all dining was included in the Freestyle daily each day. With this information so readily available, no diner should have been surprised at what was necessary....and helped the dining room entrance staff by having it so clearly explained and posted for guest review. But that has nothing to do with the OP's question.......which I don't know.

Booked this room for a future cruise and just realizing it is under an overhang and wonder if this is really a good choice. Would really like to get some sun on the deck so if anyone has any opinions on this or other mini suites on this ship can you share your thoughts/experiences ... how much does the overhang affect these balconies? Alternatievely, are mini suite balconies that aren't under this overhang exposed?

 

We were even thinking of switching entirely to regular balcony on the aft deck 10 but torn on the decision.

 

This is torture.

Go to the following link. See post #8 for pictures of the balconies. Minis have either a large overhang or only one that covers half of the balcony. Where are you cruising? I like the overhangs for both the tropics (excessive sun) and Alaska (possible rain).

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1670605

It's my understand that the divider's door can be opened by the room steward while in port, but not while at sea.

Great post BUT they are going to the Bahamas and not Bermuda.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

That's a big WOOOOOPS. But if anyone wants to go to Bermuda now........ That's one of our next booked cruises. Guess my brain is already there...........

NCL's web site has a pretty good amount of info on visa requirements (since NCL is the one who will deny you boarding). The following link leads you to other points of contact including specific info on travel to Bermuda. Below I've pasted some specific info from the Bermuda site. And according to it, yes, residents of India do require a visa.

http://www2.ncl.com/about/required-travel-documentation#nonUS

Bermuda Entry Visas:

The Bermuda Department of Border Control states that nationals of the following countries require visas (list issued May 1, 2010):

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bolivia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Bolivia, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, China (People’s Republic of), Columbia, Congo (Brazaville), Congo (Kinsasha), Croatia, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Cyprus (northern part), Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Guinea (Republic of), Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, India, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of), Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Macedonia (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia), Malawi, Moldova (Republic of), Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestinian Authorities, Panama, Philippines, Qatar, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia (Republic of), Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Soviet Union (former), Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkish Rep of N Cyprus, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Yugoslavia (former Soc. Fed. Rep. of), Zimbabwe

wow so many replies, first time cruiser here so thank you guys for all your answers.

I guess I should have been a little clearer in my question (it was late at night my brain doesn't function so well).

 

The cruise starts on sunday. we are actually getting in seattle early to spend the whole of saturday looking around in seattle. we reserved a rental car so we can go to the boeing museum on saturday as well. on sunday, I was hoping that we would get out of the hotel, drive to seattle to have lunch and then go back to the airport (since we would have to return the car anyway) and then catch the ncl shuttle to the ship. I know, it seems like a lot of going back and forth but somehow it came out that way.

 

If the 1:30 is the last shuttle to go to the port I guess we could fit in a brunch?

I would devote Sunday to just getting down to the ship and getting on board. Get to the pier for checkin at 10:30 and you should be checked in and on thship by 11:30. Then there will be all the free food you can want. If you try to brunch in town and only get to the ship at the last minute for checking in, you miss some of the cruise experience that day, plus encounter bigger lines and crowds. You Sunday plan sounds too busy in my opinion. As another said, staying at a downtown hotel lets you walk, or use the monorail or city busses to look around Seattle. WE stayed at an older, quaint, very clean and super friendly spot (the

Mediterranean Inn) recently. Two blocks up to the overpriced Space Needle, bus just down the street to downtown and Pike Market, and restaurants and grocery in the same block. It was relatively cheap for a downtown hotel. They provide shuttle next morning down to the cruise ships for $6 per person I believe.

Here's more unedited Sun pics than you'll ever want to see. The first is from last Jan and the second is from about a year before that....pretty much the same. Ain't digital wonderful..........

http://s241.photobucket.com/albums/ff281/roganderson60/NCL%20Sun%20Jan%202012/?start=all

http://s241.photobucket.com/albums/ff281/roganderson60/Sun/?start=all

Oh What A Night cast and Shark Bait crazies on the Pearl. Have seen them both several times.

Can we mix and match the bucket of beer?

It is too bad we can't bring specialty beer singular bottles and be charged a corkage fee like wine.

I am glad to hear they have some local and specialty beers.

Yes. You can mix them up. However, if you add some more expensive beers in the mix, the free one is computed at the cheapest price in the bucket.

Ther's usually drink specials various days during the cruise. On the Sun last month, they had a Mega Mary (double size Bloody Mary) for $6.25. That was only a buck more than the regular. Also, Margurita maddness is advertised usually during certain hours certain days....and similar offerings.

I hate to tose this out, but I have liked all the NCL employees/bar servers so much, have admired their efforts so much, enjoyed their conversations, their friendship, that I additionally give a buck or so for each round of drinks served. I just do it because I like to. I feel so fortunate to be able to sit there and pay $4 to $9 a drink and be sitting in a cruise ship while I do that. I didn't really do anything in my life to deserve that ability more than I'm sure these hard working folks serving me, except be fortunate in my birth, right time, right place. Just my reasons for not having a problem with it.

Additional fees in many industries are becoming the norm, their use helping the "advertised" charge for the service or product to be reflected as lower. Airlines, having been previously mentioned, now have the baggage fee, ther priority boarding fee, the hand carried baggage fee, the food fee, etc. This all keeps the advertised "cruise/flying" listed price as low as possible. However, I always factor in these extra fees before I purchase the product or service in order to realize what the actual cost is going to be. You must do the same when computing the cost of a cruise, whether it's the DSC, mandatory bar tip, or whatever. One that really aggravates me (and many others) in the US is an auto dealer's "documentary" fee, which is basically up to $300 or so for a file clerk's 15 minutes of time to prepare the sale paperwork and mail it. I just tell them, no doc fee. Just figure the dealer requiered profit and give me that total number. So really, hidden, or even obvious additional fees are very common and everywhere. But....I don't have to cruise..or drink (oh...yes I do). Just factor all of these whatevers into your total cost when figuring the price of the cruise. And if you can then still accept the bottom line as a good value, you"ll be a happy camper...uh...cruiser.

I can also twist the above argument to say it is that posters mentality that prevents NCL from improving the wage. As regarding increasing the cruise price to cover increase in wages would prevent most from cruising, that's just utter rubbish. For example an awful lot of people travelling to their cruise will take a flight, on that flight somebody will have, cleaned the inside of the aircraft (your room so to speak), an attendant will serve you food and a drink (the bar). All this without demanding a 15% tip. Outrageous, how can that be possible !! Because the airline factored this service into the price, a price we ALL still continue to pay and use in ever increasing numbers.

Flying is seldom a luxury, ususlly a necessity...and the major airline employees get pretty good wages and reasonable working hours (I've been in the industry for many years). Cruising on the other hand is strictly a luxury...although I'm really starting to consider it a necessity lately...for me.

I kinda look at it like "pay now, or pay later". That being, NCL and many other service businesses in a tipping culture enviornment figure employees wages at the lowest level factoring in tips they expect the employee to receive. I don't know how NCL specifically does that, but many US restaurants pay only a few bucks an hour actual wage to servers, again expecting the tips to bring the hourly wage up to acceptable levels. And of course the employee works based on that assumption also. So, again "pay now, or pay later". If tips were taken out of the salary computations by employers, then fares would have to increase to cover the then higher hourly wages needed. My thoughts anyhow.

I encountered a similar "design flaw" when working for the FAA. When a new building was opened at the tech center in Atlantic City, it was quickly determined that when the mens' restroom door was opened to the main lobby area restroom, those in the lobby had a perfect view of the men at the urinals. Additionally, shhhh...don't tell them, but from the old control tower at O'Hare, tower located right in front of the Hilton hotel, at night and with the lights in the control tower cab dimmed, you could see right into the top few floors of the Hilton's rooms. Those top floors guests couldn't see the cab in the darkness, therefore frequently not closing their drapes. Bored controllers, late at night, spent hours entaining themselves with the tower binoculars. You never know.