txmommy2

Has anyone used Tours by Locals in Vancouver? We are wanting a private guide for our group of 8 in August.

Are there any theme nights?  We will be aboard on Fat Tuesday. Are there still “formal” nights?

Are prices comparable to other Coach retail stores with the only real savings being that it is tax free? Do they have any sales during the week?

We have a large balcony cabin mid ship deck 6. Post booking I read deck 6 is not a great place to be. Anyone have feedback on deck 6?

Also, how many “formal” nights on the 7 day cruises? Do most dress up or is it everything  from casual to fancy? We have cruised many times but it has been a few years.

Thank you!

I want to confirm that 2 devices does not have to be the same 2 devices. For instance, I can use multiple devices (phone - to stream music, iPad, computer, etc.) but only have 2 logged in at any given time. I posed this question to customer service and they said that is correct but did not seem too sure of the answer. Thanks

I think overall Galveston is safe. We usually stay somewhere on the sea wall but April is a beautiful time to be on the island and prices reflect it. Anything not located on the sea wall will be less expensive. You can definitely stick with your original plan but if you do, I would recommend heading to Galveston early to allow time for any road closures, traffic, weather, etc. 

You need to allow 2 hours under normal conditions to travel from IAH to Galveston. I understand things add up but I would recommend staying at a budget hotel in Galveston the night before and then just getting 2 Ubers or Lyfts to the port.

This was our first cruise on NCL. We have cruised many times on RCL as well as Carnival and Princess. We were a group of 3 couples - all first time on NCL. Overall we enjoyed the week. Any day on vacation is a great day. We had 2 nice days in Maine and two rainy days in Canada (this is informational only - NCL does not control the weather.

Ship - the ship is nice. Due to the weather we really did not get to enjoy the outdoor decks as it was either raining or cold and windy. Pro - there was always an available deck chair! The atrium where many of the activities are held is not very big therefore it was hard to find a place to sit. I am not sure if it was due to the weather or just the design of the ship but we felt more movement on this ship than any other time we have cruised - even on days where the seas were relatively calm (we were on the 10th floor). The night we left Canada to head back to NYC was particularly bad - 28 ft swells due to Hurricane Michael which was about 400 miles south. The captain mentioned this the next day but really gave no warning as we left Canada. There were barf bags by all the elevators.

Food - We all thought the food was just OK. Not bad but nothing particularly stood out. Cheesecake was never offered in Taste or Savor the whole week and lobster tail was never a choice. We ate at 3 of the specialty restaurants - Cagney's, La Cucina, and Teppanyaki (our favorite of the 3 and probably the best meal of the week). The waitstaff in the specialty restaurants and MDR were not very friendly or engaging. They did there job - took our order and delivered the food. Never spoke about the offerings on the menu or their personal recommendation. We had to ask almost every night to get our water glass refilled. We did not let this negatively impact our week - just reporting our experience. The staff working in the buffet were much more friendly and helpful. The food was fine but the breakfast and lunch items were pretty much the same all week.

Excursions - We booked all excursions through the ship as we selected the $50 per port perk. I know that NCL uses local tour companies and are not in control of all that goes on but every tour was consistently late with Portland, ME being the worst. I don't think they were prepared for the number of guests that would need assistance and held up everyone else. Bus was also late the following day in Bar Harbor and the tour guide seemed unsure about what to do - honor the 2 hour tour we paid for or get us back in time for the last tender. We were not concerned as we knew the ship would not leave us behind as it was a ship excursion. The last day we had scheduled the Tall Ship Tour in Halifax. Yes the excursion was still "a go" despite the rain. We had been in the rain all morning and elected to lose our money and get back on the ship. Refund was not available since the excursion occurred. Again not upset about this - it was our choice not to go. However, I am pretty certain that I saw the tall ship and everyone standing out in the rain (not everyone could fit under what looked like a tarp) and it only went right in the inlet area where the ship was docked - nothing to see that could not be seen from our balcony.

Entertainment - We saw After Midnight and the Brat Pack - both very good. We had booked tickets but not sure it was necessary as they were not stopping anyone from entering and at one show did not even scan cards. We enjoyed Howl at the Moon - very talented people. Some nights it was standing room only but worth it. We saw the magician for one of his shows and he was incredible.

Cabin - We had a balcony cabin on deck 10. Seemed a little smaller than others we have stayed in but I thought the bathroom was well designed and the shower bigger than most we have encountered. TV selection was pretty much non existent. They did show NFL games on Sunday and Monday and Thursday night. No college games on Saturday which was a disappointment.

Spa - Seemed nice when we toured but did not utilize any of the services. Thermal Suite was a nice concept - may of considered this option if there were more sea days on our trip. It was $199 if pre-booked and $249 if booked on board. They said they only sold 120 passes - I am guessing this is in addition to those that had access through Haven or spa cabins.

Overall - We did like the freestyle dining options as far as choices and timing. We had reservations and never had to wait except for a few minutes at Cagney's. I also thought the drink prices were over the top on some things. $15 for a margarita that came in small glass (like you would have for jack and coke etc.) with little alcohol. Glass of wine was $10 - $12 which was ok. Beer was around $6-$8 - again a reasonable price. I would probably cruise NCL again if there was a really good deal but it did not win me over as cruise line of choice.

When departing NYC which side of the ship will pass by the Statue of Liberty? Would like to know if I can enjoy from my balcony or if I will need to go to another deck. Thanks

Thank you. That is exactly what I needed to know.

How many electrical outlets are in the balcony cabins on Escape and is there an outlet next to the bed? Thank you

I think my title is confusing with the word upgrade. I am really trying to decide between the 2 as I did not use this as a perk so I will be paying for whatever I choose.

I am trying to decide which package to purchase. Is the speed of both pretty good? We have 4 port days so will be able to use our phones in port. Does Facebook messenger work with the Social Media package? If so can use that to communicate instead of text while on the ship. Thanks

We are considering the Escape for a fall foliage cruise in October. We have never sailed on Norwegian (have sailed Royal Caribbean, Princess, and Carnival.) and would appreciate any feedback on the line in general, the Escape, and/or this itinerary. Ports = NY, Portland, Bar Harbor, Saint John, Halifax, NY.

I think I will like the free style dining but it seems that many of the casual dining options also incur an additional charge which is different from our past experiences. Thanks