Annieban50

We were in the forward penthouse on the Star in 2013 and have had an aft balcony. The forward penthouse was a great cabin. We were on the 10th or 11th floor and had to keep the curtains drawn at night because the lights are distracting for the bridge. The ceiling panels shifted every time the balcony door was opened and didn't always settle back in place correctly. Neither was a big deal, but a little odd. The aft view was wonderful- very peaceful. I personally enjoyed seeing where we were going so the forward would be my choice.

Make sure and ask your butler to arrange a sail away party. We did that for Cozumel and it was a fun little extra.

Hello,

I am booked on the February 26th Getaway. I did not receive the email, but one of my colleagues who is going on the same trip and in the same category did receive it. I contacted NCL (via Facebook and phone reservations number) and have been told it is random as to who receives the email. I am Platinum and my colleague is Bronze, so tier does not seem to count.

I let NCL know that I had hoped the email would be offered to everyone, but it is not. A computer system should be able to send the email and handle the responses, but they apparently don't have the programming set up that way.

they met us at the terminal after customs, put our luggage in a trailer and took us to a central location. We went on the hoho, had lunch in Little Havana, went back to the central location, picked up our luggage and took the shuttle to the airport. It worked very well.

and best yet, it includes a free shuttle to the airport.

Last year, we caught the hop on at the port. It was a nice overview of the city. look for the big bus tours ship to shore option

Hello,

We booked a guarantee balcony on the Epic Jan. 11, 2015 sailing. I noticed a price drop after final payment so I called and asked and we were able to change from deck 8 forward to an aft balcony for no charge. So while there was no upsell, it could be worth a phone call....

Along with the reasons others have mentioned, because I am fortunate enough to have my mother, sister, two daughters and their boyfriends want to spend precious vacation time with my husband and me. Cruising provides a wide range of activities so that each of us can find something to do that we enjoy and gives us the space to be together or not!

Hello,

We did Rome 5years ago, so my experience might not be the most up to date...we went to the Vatican using the hop on hop off. We had to take a taxi back to the train station. We had hoped that we could get to the coliseum too, but ran out of time. The trains were running late and we nearly missed the ship. My experience would say be careful, you can't do it all.

A few years ago we took a cutout doll type of figure on a Med. cruise. I believe it is a common project and has a story. At any rate, we took pictures with flat Stanley and my nephew had to research and write about his adventures.

Hello, Orient on st Maartan is a nice beach, but part is clothing optional and people seemed to stray past the optional line. Of course, it might be fine, but it is up to you to decide if you would need to explain things to your kids. Coki on st Thomas was great, including terrific snorkeling from the shore. We bought/were given dog biscuits and the fish ate them from our hands.

Hello, we cruised the med in January, 2010. It was 50ish in some ports and slightly warmer in others. It did rain, but there were no crowds. We are from minnesota, so it was still warm to us. Dress in layers, bring gloves if your hands get cold. We did use the balcony for short periods of time and it was not too bad.

We had a fantastic time and I would do it again.

On a previous cruise, I had a large on board credit (thanks to American Express) so I wanted to wait to book an excursion. The day before we sailed I noticed the excursion was gone from the on line list, and when I called they said it was sold out. I checked when we got on board and was told they had reserved a small number of tickets, so I quickly grabbed the last available. I also noticed they cost $10 more on board.

So, the earlier poster who said if they are important, pre-order was correct. Do keep in mind if you cancel after the sailing begins, you only receive on board credit, not a refund on your credit card.

We were in a penthouse suite on the Star and had a great butler experience. He kept the espresso supply filled (not easy since my husband adores the stuff) . I planned a sail away party for Cozumel, which was our last port. The butler brought cheese, sandwiches, fruit and cookies. He asked if I wanted wine and I said no, I didn't need any. The day of the party, he brought two bottles, as "it wouldn't be a party without it". There was no charge to me, as he said they each have an account to use as they like. Needless to say, his tip did increase!

What do you like to do? Are you beach people or would sitting and watching the ocean be boring to you? Have you snorkeled? Do you like to shop or is that something you hate? Just chilling your idea of fun or do you want to learn the history and culture of a place?

There are lots of great things to do in St Thomas and lots of us will be happy to help!

And congrats!

Annieban

Hello,

We sailed on the Epic last January. Our group included my daughters (23 and 26), my sister (42), my husband and me (49), a cousin (65) and my mother (73). Some of us are ADHD:D and others are very laidback. The beautiful part about the Epic was that there were activities for all of us. We would get together for most meals, then break off to do the water slides, rock wall, reading, sun bathing, casino, games, etc. and then get back together for dinner and a show. Some of us would then go to a late night show at Howling with the Moon.

Our youngest daughter treated the group to the Italian dining option as a Christmas gift (I think it was $10 each). If your folks prefer casual, the MDr will be a great option. The buffet set up was great. I'm sorry I don't have the prices for the other options, but it seemed like they ranged from $10-25 per person.

Enjoy your cruise!