Jana60

Must be a classy crowd on-board if those "rules" have to be provided. :')

As classy as on any cruise. I have seen the same rules posted on every cruise line, at least the ones that I have cruised on. I have cruised on Royal Caribbean, Carnival, princess, and Norwegian. Maybe cruise lines outside of my experience have not needed to post these rules. After all some cruise lines seem to proverbially roll up the carpet’s at 10 PM so that pretty much stops any noise or drinking. But most people like to have some fun when on vacation!

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We’re scheduled on the Escape this September. Would you mind letting me know where you got that delicious looking lobster in Maine?

I’m sorry but I forgot the name of the restaurant. It was a very casual place and the prices were very reasonable. If I remember I’ll let you know.

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I can't wait to look for this every day. as a psych nurse I will be glad to hold group for all of us with this disorder....on as many cruise ships as I can!! Keep it coming!! ps..I ordered the magnets ... Just ordered new walking shoes...love amazon prime! 23 days to obsess..:D

Can you Imagine a cruise full of compulsive cruise planners? That would be really fun!

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If my DH has his way, he’d be chasing the ship down the pier... lucky for him, I’m a planner!! Sounds like your DH is the same way.

 

 

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I’m jokingly referred to as the travel agent of the family. I even complete their online check in! My guy wouldn’t have underwear or a toothbrush when traveling if not reminded.

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This just isn't the thread for you. Those discussing planning here ENJOY these activities and dont consider it a waste of time. You and your smartphone are happy your way, we are sharing the things that make us happy together on this thread. As many of our comments have mentioned, we know a lot of people don't understand our pleasure in the detailed planning activity. That's why so many of us were excited to participate in this thread. Just leave us to it.

I Agree! I just love this thread and all my fellow planners!!!

I admit it! I am a compulsive planner! I LOVE looking forward to a cruise and planning allows me to look forward to it longer!

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I like NCL. I feel their "perks" add real value for me. The UBP in particular is a great perk.

 

 

 

Debate if not including the tips is really a free perk, or not. But, it's still a good deal for those of us who use it. By the time I have a couple of beers sitting around the pool, maybe a soft drink during the day, to having a couple glasses of wine with dinner, to having a couple of late night cocktails before heading back to the cabin for the evening, I come out way ahead vs paying as I go, or buying the UBP outright (which I'm going to have to pay for tips, anyway).

 

 

 

Just saw some posts over on the Carnival and Holland America threads stating their drink package has a 15 drink maximum. At first blush, I thought..."no way I'd drink 15 drinks/day". However, what I didn't know was if you have something like a Long Island Iced Tea, that has a shot of Tequila, a shot of vodka, a shot of rum, a shot of gin, a shot of triple sec, and a splash of cola, they count all the shots as one drink. So, a Long Island iced tea does not count as one drink. It counts as 6 drinks. If you get a soft drink, that counts towards the 15 drink limit. Jack and Coke counts as 2 drinks.

 

 

 

I didn't know this, and had never thought of it, as I haven't sailed either Carnival or Holland America in a while.

 

 

 

So, is their 15 drink maximum deceptive? Is the UBP deceptive (they tell you tips are not included)?

At Carnival the one time I purchased their package:

no matter how much alcohol is in the glass each drink that contains alcohol counts as 1 drink. Sodas and juice do not count towards maximum. Long island teas at Carnival are in a very large glass and are very strong! If a heavy drinker is down to his last drink and wants it to really kick butt, he should order their long island tea!

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Where did you purchase the biodegradable straws?

I got mine at Walmart. 50 straws for $5.57. No tax or delivery charges.

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This scenario applies to me. Ocean Blue exceeds the number of meals in my dining package. Darn. I thought they changed the price.

 

 

 

But with the recent comments in this thread, I'm wondering if I should cancel it.

I rarely ever enjoy lobster as much as I think I’m going to. Most of the time these days I just ordered shrimp instead and find that I like it just as much. Although they do make fantastic lobster in New England! The last really good lobster dinner I had was in Maine! As you can see in the photo below they grow really big lobsters in Maine.

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I have to wonder how NCL can make a profit on their biggest money maker - drinks - when they continue to offer UBP to cruisers as a perk. In addition, its not just the passengers who are to blame. On a recent cruise, bartenders would only take one card to run through the machine despite the fact that 3 or 4 people had just ordered drinks. Just makes you wonder how much padding has been added to the price of the cruise in order to make up for the loss of revenue caused by free drinks.

The least expensive category of room that includes the Free at sea choices is typically $200 pp or more greater than the Sail away category that does not include any perks. When you add to that the promotion service fee for the drink package the passenger is actually paying $300 to $400 for the free drink package! I’m actually not criticizing Norwegian for this because I feel like it is their right to do advertising and pricing as they see fit but I do think the customer should be aware of what they are being charged for.

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My favorite activity on board other than the main shows is karaoke. I didnt see any listed on the first night daily. Do you know how many times they offer karaoke?

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That was your first mistake. Nobody here can give you guidance on what you feel is appropriate.

We had the same question when we stayed in the Haven. While it’s a personal decision how much or even whether you tip it is not uncommon to wonder how much is common. We all know what the common tip is for the local diner waitress. If you went into your local diner and gave the waitress only a 1% tip it would be an insult and the waitress would be wondering “what did I do wrong?”. On the other hand if you give the waitress a 50% tip she will think “wow they must’ve really liked me!” The tip you give does send a message to the person you’re tipping and it would probably be better to not tip at all rather than give a tip that is so low compared to the usual that it is actually an insult.

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Are you in a suite??

Forgive the pun but If I could get a suite for $1497 that would really be a sweet deal! When I booked last month NCL was offering a special that gave as many as five perks if you book at least a balcony. The fifth perk was the “third or fourth family member free” perk and since I am traveling solo I don’t need that one! [emoji1]

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with so many inquiries,

THIS thread is no longer a FAQ :)

Good luck.

I don’t know the answer to her question but I don’t see any problem with her asking it! She is asking a question about the NCL master card rewards and if not to answer questions about the rewards program of this card, what are we doing here???

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Doesn’t that go against the terms of service? If you went to a buffet in your hometown, would you bring a random stranger and say, I’m not going to eat everything I’m entitled to so this person is here to help?

 

 

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LIKE!!! [emoji106]

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Im sorry to read this about your Mothers' unexpected passing. Hugs.. That must have been hard.

 

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I must apologize because I did not initially acknowledge in any way the passing of Firsttimer209’s mother. I am 58 and the youngest of my siblings so in my age group it is not unusual if someone’s parents have passed. I admit that I tend to offer condolences only if the loss occurred during the past 12 months or less. I apologize if I seemed calloused.

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Be careful punching any holes in the Key Card.

 

Holes in the wrong places may disable the card for all ship access and on board accounting.

 

 

 

Best left to the staff at Guest Services.

That’s exactly what I do. I have lanyards in a variety of styles to go with different outfits and one of my first stops on board is guest services to punch a hole in my sale and sign card so that I can hook it to my lanyard around my neck. Seems like every other day of my life I carry a purse on my arm. I love having a vacation from my purse and feeling like I’m free of all burdens! My lanyards other than the one I use while swimming are closed with a magnetic clasp so I can easily pull them off and hand my sale and sign card including the lanyard to the bartender to scan for my drink. The one I swim with is on a stretchy plastic and I don’t even need to remove it in order to scan my card when leaving the ship or returning.

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depending on the weather, they also have movies at the atrium and they usually put popcorn by the piano.

I really like the Indoor movie in the atrium because you can see the screen from the 24hr restaurant On the floor above. It’s fun to sit there with a midnight snack and a drink and watch a movie!

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All of my cruises have been with Carnival. We have an upcoming 4 day cruise ((but need to change to a 3 day cruise due to my classes) but I'm thinking about trying out Norwegian.

 

 

 

I came across 2 - 3 day cruises out of Port Canaveral on Norwegian Sun.

 

 

 

I've been to Nassau a few times already but Great Stirrup Cay would be a new port to visit.

 

 

 

Both ocean view; DH has to have natural light, includes unlimited drinks (are soda's, and specialty coffees included?) and 2 options if booking an ocean view; I would choose the picture package and $50 off a shore excursion at each port(s).

 

 

 

(1) Great Stirrup Cay and Nassau - Total: $1114.54

 

 

 

(2) Great Stirrup Cay and Sea day - Total: $1274.54

 

 

 

If I did a 3 day (ocean view) with Carnival; Princess Cay (never been) and Nassau. Total: $1257.26 which includes the Cheers package. No discount on shore excursion but there is a $50 on board credit.

 

 

 

We dont want to worry about anything other than relaxing, which is why we are going with CHEERS for the first time if we went with Carnival.

 

 

 

Ok here are my questions.

 

 

 

(1) Of the 3 choices, which seems the best option?

 

 

 

(2) Gratuity on Carnival comes to $77.70 total. Is gratuity included with the price for Norwegian? If not, what would be the price or estimation?

 

 

 

(3) Does Norwegian have a "party type vibe"? We're pretty laid back but love to have fun. Especially when it comes to dancing.

 

 

 

(4) What about internet? Pricing? Carnival offers the HUB app, does Norwegian offer something similar?

 

 

 

Any other information would be appreciated.

I’ve never sailed on the NCL sky but I have been on 9 cruises on NCL and 23 cruises on Carnival. Carnival was my preferred cruise line until they just kept raising prices but lowering quality. I switched completely to NCL in 2016. I just got sick and tired of watching my water glass slide on it’s condensation across the table at me every time there was a wave because the darn cruise line was too cheap to put tablecloth on the table! They used to have a full orchestra for Carnival Cruise Line shows but got rid of it and use canned music to which a few singers and dancers basically perform karaoke. The main shows only last 30 minutes each evening! I don’t know anything about the sky and for all I know you may have a poor experience there but I can tell you, over all, the entertainment is much better on NCL and Royal Caribbean than it is on Carnival. If carnival lowers their solo rate to a reasonable rate I’m willing to give them a second chance but I would never pay $1200 for a three day cruise on any cruise line! My cruise in September on the NCL Getaway is a total of $1497 including port charges, tax, and service charges on the promotional packages but its a 7 day cruise with free UBP, free SDP, 250 min free WIFI, $50 per port discount on NCL Tours, AND $200 OBC! The daily service charge (gratuity for cabin steuard ect..) will be $14.99 per day ($101.50 total). Since I can’t use the onboard credit for the gratuity per NCL rules I went ahead and booked all of my tours plus two dinner shows with that $200 onboard credit. So other than the $101.50 gratuities my cruise truly is all inclusive!

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We are going on the NCL Dawn in 2019, a seven day cruise, and are staying in the 3 bedroom garden villa. We will have a butler and I was wonder how much to tip the butler? If anyone has stayed in the room and has an idea that would be great, or if you know how much to tip that would help too.

When my sister and I stayed in the Haven we also were not sure how much to tip the Butler. So I asked the hotel manager, “what is the usual tip” and she said “people usually tip a total of $50 to $75 per person.” Certainly more would be appropriate if you worked your butler really hard.

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That's one of the reasons we don't befriend too many folks while cruising [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

 

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I don’t know if you’re kidding but if you’re not, that’s really a shame! I have met many wonderful friends, who are still Facebook friends, on cruises. I have never had anybody ask me to get them a drink when they were not on the drink package. I’ve also never asked for nor accepted a drink from anybody on the drink package when I was on the “sale away” rate! Many times when cruising with family members, the bartenders get accustomed to seeing us together and know that we are both on the drink package, so they will prepare both our drinks and put them on our respective cards without making both of us come up to the bar. This was really helpful in my case because I’m mobility impaired and it was nice of the bartenders to save me the extra standing and walking.

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Was wondering if anyone has cruised on the Dawn the last few weeks this summer? I haven't seen many posts about people's experiences on the ship and was hoping to hear everyone's thoughts. We are cruising on her in a couple of weeks and hope it is as great for us this time as it has been in the past. Thanks.

 

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My sister and I cruised to Bermuda on the NCL Dawn but it was last summer in 2017. We had a great time!

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If someone is willing to go topless out on deck they probably are not concerned that a balcony might not be completely private.

I’ve heard about people doing a lot more than sunbathing topless on their balconies! Sort of the cruise line equivalent of the mile high club! [emoji15]

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So am I correct in reading that you are not allowed to bring bottled water on board anymore? I was recently on Royal and they didn't seem to have any issue with it. I can understand alcohol but water?

I’ve always wondered why anybody would want to haul bottles of water on board! I mean except for maybe substituting a little vodka for some of that water! The tap water on ships is already filtered! Where do you think they get that water? It’s at least as pure as what you’re getting out of those water bottles! They just like to make money so they sell those plastic bottles of water to stupid Americans willing to pay for it!

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Please post a review when you get back from Playa Mia. :)

You got it! [emoji106]

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By cleaning them

 

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There’s no way I’m going to do the dishes when I’m on a cruise! I am Happy to pay the five bucks for 50 biodegradable straws that I can freely throw away (even into the ocean) when I’m done with them!

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