MaryZ

We tend to order of the menu in haven often. Their menus used to be so much better years ago. Looking at the menus recently posted, they are like they were in Feb on the Getaway. So, since we are back on the Getaway in a few days, we will just clarify early on what we would enjoy for certain meals. As far as snacks go from the butler, we only like fruit and cheese. We are always clear about that, no candy, cookies, cakes etc. We just don't eat it. Or worse, it's there and we will eat it 😁

If one opens up due to cancellations, then you're in the running for it. Starting tomorrow will be the covid cancellations so you never know.

When I looked at the ship last night I was fairly surprised at how many cabins are available. School starts here in my district Thursday and nearly all the districts on Long Island go back by next Tuesday. Our last cruise in July on Oasis was ridiculously overcrowded. We have gotten used to sailing with only 1/3 of the ship full. So we are looking forward to a way less crowded ship.

Tuesday....it's only Tuesday...lol

If you think you won't be happy, pick another ship. We've been on the Epic and we enjoyed it. But it was years ago. There are so many different ships in the med that come and go from rome.

Yes you pay tips at the end on your account. I believe it's $20 a day per person. It's probably less if you are not in Haven. Plus you have extra tips to the staff at the end of the cruise if you are in Haven But we also tip bartenders along the way at all the bars we go to. We give a little extra to everyone. We sail all the lines so it all depends on what offers there are when you are booking. We have a Princess cruise booked for the future and everything is included. So no tipping added to our account at the end of the cruise. It's been awhile since NCL had that promotion.

For us either. We got it on the Oasis 7/22/22 sailing. My husband just finally tested negative yesterday 8/11/22. I took the antivirals because I was really sick. Like almost hospital sick. We are both vaxed and twice boosted. We've been on 8 cruises before the Oasis. The difference was the Oasis was full capacity, the crew had covid (our one server disappeared on day 4 never to be seen again and the captain was quarantining for covid) The ship was dirty, not enough staff. We have 5 more cruises planned before the year end. I'm just going to wear a mask the whole time on the ships. I think, for us, that it was a fatal combination of us not being exposed to natural germs for 2.5 years, being older with certain health issues and a way overcrowded ship with high levels of covid in the NY/NJ area. The ship was ridiculous. We normally don't sail in the summer but we brought our daughter and her family to enjoy spending time with them. They just had boosters about 10 days before we left on the ship. But this was first and last for a summer cruise. Way too many families for us and way too big of a ship. It was fun, but we prefer the Anthem class of ships. And in the winter. When kids are in school. 😄

If you didn't think the food on Celebrity was good, you're going to be fairly miserable on NCL. At the very least, stay in Haven so you have the private dining. The specialty restaurants are an absolute necessity on NCL

They dropped a whole pallet of luggage into the water at the nyc port getting on the Breakaway a few years ago.

They just broke a delsey hard case on Oasis 7/22/22. They pulled the handle right out. First time we used it. They gave us...$30 onboard credit. Honestly, they came, they looked at it, they came back, they took it to see if they could fix it. Then they offered $30 The lines at guest services were ridiculous all week and we were on a family trip. I should have just went to the diamond concierge and complained but I did not. If we were not enjoying ourselves with our kids and grandkids I'd give this cruise a 1.

We have a lot of different cards. We also have sw companion pass, so you pay for one person, the other pays only taxes. We have a lot of high end cards, where the fees might not be for everyone but lounge access, clear, global entry etc are part of our travel lives. I've never used points to book a cruise but I suppose you can do that. We use them for business class air mostly and high end hotel stays. We also gamble so most of our cruises are free or greatly reduced. Gambling is it's own game, to get all sorts of free travel. We are retired for a quite a few years now. I do think the OP's financial advisor was giving them great information on how to continue your traveling without having to spend down your liquid cash or by pulling money out before you actually have to. However the way to do it is to open new cards all the time for the bonuses. The most important part of the travel game is you pay all your credit card bills in full every month. If you pay interest, you're losing the game.

It's your review. Write what makes you happy!

We cruise free and they give us free drinks and money to gamble with on Carnival. On Princess we also get a free cruise or a casino rate, depending. The same for HAL I own their stock and used to get the shareholder credit before covid. It's not a stock that is worth holding more than 100 shares, but I do dividend reinvestment so I have a few shares extra. Their rules now state free cruises no longer get stockholder credit. I'm sorry you pay for your cruises. It's the same for the other cruise lines of which I also have the required 100 shares. We sail those ships for free or an extremely discounted casino rate also. It's more than likely they will take away shareholder credit than raise it to having to own more than 100 shares.

That has never been our experience...lol Summertime from the ny ports are loaded with kids. We used to sail with our own kids on school vacations. Which is why for the last 15 years we have avoided it at all costs 😄

Maybe that's how you will feel. We loved the Meraviglia,. But we sailed in Europe. It's not an american line so it's totally different. We like it. I'm hoping next week on my Oasis cruise, I'm not saying I should have never decided to go on a ship filled with kids in the middle of the summer. I should have just sent my kids with the grandkids by themselves...lol But nah, we'll have a good time. It's all about what you make it. And it'll be fun with our grandkids.

One of the cruises we were on the "slot pull organizer" came in and did this too. Long after the original slot pull was planned. They jumped in and kept advertising the 3 they were running a $25 pp, a $50pp and the $100pp I have no idea if people showed up for them but it appeared not many by the way he kept "advertising" his slot pulls. Occasionally we participate in an original slot pull because they are fun. But the kind this guy was doing, we won't.

No. Not if you wanted the Thrill Water Park.

My plat only has the NCL offer.

Thanks for the replies. I wasn't quite sure how that worked.

So we are diamond. We are taking our grandson with us on a cruise. Will he be diamond also then?

We got free verandas on a bunch of cruises through June today. Lately, I have more free cruises than I have weeks left in the next 2 years.

I'm guessing because they often miss it? All they said is that it's considered a sea day and could not book a child under the age of 1 for cruises that the itinerary is sea day/sea day/coco cay

Be careful with this. We could not book a cruise over July 4th because coco cay is considered a sea day. Anyone less than 1 yr of age cannot sail with 3 straight sea days. So for us, on the Antem, coco cay was considered a 3rd sea day. We had to move the cruise back to the end of July when our grandaughter turns 1 the day before we sail.

We don't participate in them either anymore.