david_sobe

Wow this sounds like a travel nightmare which mostly began with the airline. I NEVER travel on any airline that is not an American carrier (except Air Canada). We travel to Argentina frequently and they have all sorts of discounted airlines that I wont mention but the price is almost half of what an American carrier would be. However these airlines are backed by the government and are never on time. Besides that, its common for flights to be cancelled for days until you can get the next one. This story just reminds me and reinforces my beliefs. I know nothing about Air Portugal and they could be a good airline. European airlines are famous for losing or stealing luggage too. We look right past those discounted flights to Argentina and book reputable airlines. After the flight debacle there seemed to be a domino effect of other mishaps which would have been avoided with another airline. If they could not get you to the ship, I am not sure what NCL could have done other than give you full credit for a future cruise. Was that even discussed?

The part that was reminding guests the entertainment was free so dont complain about it 😆. NCL was once the pioneers of top notch entertainment. I remember for Epic in 2010, they had 3 shows directly from Vegas: Blue Man, Legends In Concert, and Cirque Dreams. I am not even counting the other stuff that normally comes with cruising like piano bars, comedy, etc. It seems the pendulum is swinging back towards the typical cruise line entertainment that existed before Epic.

Thanks for the recap! Its a shame Kinky Boots is no more. I feel for the cast and crew that trained so freaking hard for months only to perform for a few months and then Covid cancels everything. Then once the restart happens, NCL pulls the plug and sends everyone home due to cost.

Wow, I keep reading on the cuts to entertainment but what is written in the Daily is surprising.

There is a reason a thread like this can turn ugly. If you get away with things such as your 15 year old teen eating in specialty restaurants without paying then you keep your mouth shut about it. You don't come to Cruise Critic and look for pity because one restaurant finally called you out on it. When you book a cruise, the first 2 guests get the specialty dining credit. Anyone else in your cabin you take to that specialty restaurant will have to pay the cover charge or ala carte. The only exception is if you have a child under 12 and they get chicken nuggets and a juice box.

I don't disagree with you. But there should be an age where its forbidden. For example, what about a 9 year old? They dont want Tappenyaki but its too young to be left alone. However, I dont see that the main point here. The teen ate at the restaurant. Would there not be some cost?

Thank you for explaining. It sort of makes sense what you are saying. However if the burger came from the child menu, what does it have to do with the buffet (that was mentioned). I do agree that a children's menu is not meant for a 15 year old especially if they shared from your plate. IMHO a children's menu is for a toddler i.e. chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, cookie. A minor should be able to sit with their parents no matter what. However since the child was charged, some food from that restaurant had to be consumed.

Thanks for sharing Peachy. This is another review recently that speaks of a very crowded ship with lots of kids. You are right. While cruising in February is good, try to avoid Presidents Day and Valentines Day week. We both cruised 2 bedroom Haven suites. The Haven on Encore cant even compare to Getaway. There is so much more space on Encore. If I remember correctly, your Encore cruise had some wild kids on it too.

Thanks for the review. The pizza is not the only thing at La Cucina that is better at the buffet or MDR. The rigatoni I had was better at the buffet. The gnocci we had was better at the MDR. Glad you enjoyed your dish but many/most dishes there don't qualify for a specialty meal IMHO. I remember the days it was only $10 extra. Maybe it was worth it then but you can get boiled boxed pasta and jar sauce anywhere.

Yes of course but Spring Break and Christmas are especially bad especially in the Haven since it caters to families and kids. They have every right to be there and I have a right not to book at those times. I prefer to sail in February when kids are in school. The Haven pool turns into a kiddie pool and teenagers pack the hot tubs.

Wow, little did anyone know that there are times a Vibe pass is worth it while staying in the Haven. Another reminder to self to never cruise during Spring Break 😬

The cruise wont be short on music, that's for sure. But it probably will be a party boat which will impact those who just want to relax by the pool. Just another reminder to self to never, ever book a cruise during spring break.

I thought the same thing. Yet few can describe it and just say look on youtube. Soca must stand for something, no? I googled and only could find its some sort of Music Festival that is promoted during Black Spring Break.

Thanks for the review. I was on Encore a few years ago and Onda was my highlight meal too. It was so good we ate their twice. It is LOUD in there. You have to shout to speak to anyone at your table. Very odd but the acoustics make it worse. I dont think the once a day cabin turn down would bother me. I always feel guilty messing up the bed again for them to make it again if I take a nap. However I have not cruised since that change.

Exactly. To each their own. You actually make my point. Everyone always justifies their selections. My point is discussing those of us who have done each and compare. Those opinions always get lost in the shuffle because of doubling down on their selection. I always hear opinions exactly that how much people love walking to the Haven, etc. I love having the Haven restaurant and Horizon lounge steps from your cabin. Wake up late? Just walk to the restaurant. You feel part of the complex. My experience is also the concierge knows you better because they see you more often. Although I never heard anyone say they would go bonkers staying in the Haven before. 😁

Thanks for sharing your experience. I also have stayed in Haven suites inside the Haven and outside forward penthouses with Haven access. While its nice having a bigger cabin, the Haven experience was not the same due to the long walks to the complex. It felt like you are only visitors. I call it Haven-light. For a little more money, go for the Haven experience especially on such a big and wonderful complex like on Bliss. Most people always defend their decisions but its great to hear honesty that there is a reason why those cabins are less expensive even though you get access to the Haven. Staying inside the Haven on Encore was a dream. Our cabin was 10 steps to the Horizon lounge. We soaked it all up inside the complex. I would have hated to keep walking back and forth. A good analogy is: Do you want to stay at an ocean front resort with your room over looking the pool, ocean, and restaurant OR do you want to stay at a less expensive hotel within 3 blocks walking distance and you have access to the beach and pool, etc. No comparison in my book. BTW, I have also cruised Valentines Day week and its something I avoid. There are all sorts of single mingle cruisers that just overtake every venue. One night at Cagneys the entire restaurant was booked exclusively for a singles club.

I think the crew talent show is going to make a comeback. I dont like Broadway shows but enjoy them while cruising. I think I enjoy them at sea because its something I would not pay to see on land. I always come away impressed how good they are even though some of them like Legally Blonde have very thin scripts. I get how expensive they can be. They have cut back on perks, food, cabin services, room service, beverage and now entertainment. Its funny how with all the cuts the prices keep going up 😲

Tomorrow they have to make their own bed again and be forced to cook and make something to eat again. The struggle is real.

Those feet 🙄 Thanks for another fantastic "live" review. All good things must come to an end. I hope someday I will get to board Prima.

Is this not life 101. Reminds me of the Adam Corola bit about hotel coffee pots. 98% of coffee drinkers drink regular coffee. Yet the hotel breakfast buffet has 2 giant pots. One regular and one decaf. The decaf pot is full because NO ONE drinks it. The regular coffee pot is empty and you get a few drips. You have ten thousand spoons and all you need is a knife. The entire hotel coffee breakfast buffet is centered around 2% of coffee drinkers. I can only imagine what's going on in that Starbucks.

Does that mean fewer sleepers and photos of you capturing those moments?

These kind of threads will always rage on. Everyone has different likes and experiences on different ships. I am in the tiny minority who believes Le Bistro is the most overrated restaurant in the NCL fleet. I used to think I was missing something but when I cruise we don't even consider going there anymore. This board always brags about their soups and you can get better soups anywhere IMHO. The food is not bad but not worth all the fuss I read about it. I also believe La Cucina is equally mediocre. Onda is so much better and NCL is going in the right direction with Italian food. I am not a big sea food lover so I guess I would pick Cagneys. I guess I consider myself lucky because I never had a bad or average meal there. Its always really good. Go with what you like. What I dont like about the NCL specialty restaurants these days is how crowded they are. Many years ago they were a treat not just for the food but atmosphere. But now everyone has the meal deals and its hard to get reservations. When I sailed Encore, they had 8 tables for Cagneys outside the restaurant into the Mix Bar area. Its insanely busy.

Sad to see the wild mushroom ravioli off the menu. I had it on the Encore in February 2020 and it always was a Haven staple and favorite on all the ships. IMHO the menu keeps people exploring for better and different options. I cant see having dinner there more than twice on a cruise.

Its a great photo op. Its something I have done twice but probably would not do again. But I always enjoyed the experience. I like to stay in as long as I can. Usually people run in for the photo-op and want to run out after having one drink. They would give me their extra ticket and I would have 4 vodka drinks. If you stay in for awhile its very exhilarating when you come out because your body temp has dropped. There used to be ice furniture inside where you could sit down but I dont think that exists anymore. If you have never done it before, its worth it and makes for some fun photos and stories for later. IMHO everyone must do an ICE Bar at least once.

I love it. I dont think I could drink 82 bottles of water on a 5 night cruise. I am glad someone is getting their money's worth on the Plus package 🙂