graphicguy

Starlink…MPower…Speedcast..etc. All of them sound good from a marketing perspective. In reality…while better than speed and access was 5 years ago, none of them are what I’d consider “good”!!!!

Where are you flying to? Definitely not if you're flying international. Remember, just because the ship is scheduled to arrive at a certain time, doesn't mean that it will. Once the ship arrives, it must be cleared, disembarkation processes must be implemented, and you hope weather won't be a factor. I wouldn't plan on flying out any time before noon.

Yes. Worked out quite well, actually. Dined in LeBistro on Embarkation evening, given they wave the "long pants" rule on the first night due to possible luggage lateness. So, that's a good time to dine there. Have done Cagney's on Embarkation night for dinner, also. Seemed less crowded than later in the week.

Didn't know that. When did that happen? And, how would they know if they do or don't have Spa access?

Excellent info that @cruiseny4life posted. What ship are you sailing? That will help us help you. In genreal, there are no "INSIDE" Haven Cabins with no balcony. Speaking for the Breakaway and Plus ships, the smallest Haven Cabins are the Haven Spa Suites, which includes access to the ship's spa. Those have a balcony, too. And, most have a whirlpool tub actually in the room. Sizes go up from there. Some Haven Suites are actually in the Haven "proper" (where you just walk out of your cabin into the Haven open areas). Yes, Dining and Bar areas are exclusive to the Haven. They also have an exclusive pool and lounge area, both inside and outside. The Haven Restaurant could be considered one of the best on the ship. The Bar Tenders in the Haven Bar are definitely the best on the ship. They make some amazing drinks and are great at getting to know all the Haven Guests. Actually, this is true of the entire Haven Staff, from the wait staff all the way up to the Concierges. Not sure about smoking areas as I've never seen any smokers in the Haven. But, as in all NCL ships, there is NO SMOKING/VAPING on balconies or other spaces outside of designated smoking areas of the ship. I don't know where those are, however. There is one area where they allow cigar smoking, which is an enclosed room attached to Maltings Bar. But, I have read where cigarette smoking is discouraged there. There are Butlers as well as concierges who are available to assist you. Concierges take care of reservations for dining and entertainment. They also handle escorting you on and off the ship and take care of billing issues (vs standing in line at Customer Service). Butlers serve meals in your cabin and take care of stocking your coffee and snacks throughout your cruise. In addition, you'll have a room steward who will take care of your bedding and towel needs, as well as clean your cabin. Hope that helps. EDIT...I see you're familiar with Celebrity's Sky Suites. The Haven is similar except NCL divides up the duties of the Concierge and Butler, whereas Celebrity combines them. Haven restaurant is similar to Luminae. Luminae has a changing dinner menu, where the Haven Restaurant does not. However, the Haven Restaurant will accommodate reasonable dining requests (like ordering something off menu from another restaurant on board). Depending on ship, the Haven area is larger than the Retreat I've stayed in (Edge and Apex). Some Haven's actually have a private area to get a massage from the Spa. The Retreats I've stayed in the outdoor pool areas had their own bar. Haven's bar is actually inside, but there are roaming wait staff to accommodate you.

Maybe an anomalie on your sailings? Our OL entertainment was excellent.

Really? Different strokes........ I have a back pack with my with meds, hair brush, my toothbrush/paste. A change of boxers. That's it. Easy. Lite to carry. And, if worse comes to worst at least I'll look presentable with my hair brushed, a clean mouth and a clean pair of boxers to wear. FWIW, Celebrity is my 2nd favorite cruise line. They do have "all inclusive" with tips figured in. I still tip extra, but their fares reflect the inclusion of those perks. 🙂

Yeah…I don’t think I’ve ever paid anything close to that, either. I know I’m right around $400/nite in an H6 (2 BR) for my upcoming 11 night Epic cruise in the Mediterranean. That includes FAS. There are some Haven deals out there if you look. @kasimir…you got a GREAT deal! $1,000/nite? That would be a hard pass for me.

Good point about putting luggage under the bed. Also doubles as a drawer for dirty clothes.

I think I’ve actually had shrimp cocktail delivered as a snack to my cabin. Chocolate covered strawberries always to to waste, however.

There should be drawers available in the wardrobe and the bed side table. I’ve stayed in the solo cabins on the Breakaway…which is small, too. But, totally functional.

Yes, but the stewards are now cleaning rooms 1X/day vs 2X/day that they used to do. They have more rooms to clean, but only have to clean them ½ as many times as they used to. As always, on embarkation day, trying to jam into the typical places (buffet, bars, etc) with people hauling luggage in tow jams things up. Finding bars in out of the way spots (this changes depending on the ship) is helpful. Spice H20 is my “go to” spot when I board as there is plenty of space, it’s outside, and has a bar. Stay away from the pool bars. They tend to be jammed. Leave your luggage with the porters at the pier. Using stairs vs elevators also helps. I think NCL is modeling hotel like room availability. Usually, check in is at 3:00 p.m. at hotels. These are all tips I’ve learned by cruising NCL for a long time. Not sure it matters, but the Sun is among the smallest ships in the NCL fleet. Can’t comment on the movie front. I don’t think I’ve ever watched TV on a cruise other than to check my bill, make reservations or to see what the weather was going to be.

Perhaps to those who aren’t Latitudes members. I have to wonder how many there are of those boarding? They still would have to wait until Haven, mobility impaired, and the different levels of Latitude members board. Just a word of caution, if you’re in none of these groups, getting to the port early will not grant you early access to boarding. But, if your goal is to get the earliest boarding number for access after the other groups have boarded, then you’re right. I’ve just seen it too many times where people get to the port early, are assigned a low number to board and then after waiting and waiting, getting upset when they weren’t allowed to board until after the other various groups boarded before them.

That Aft balcony cabin is in between. You'll get to see both sides of wherever you sail/port. So, there is no side preference, per se.

I remember that. Don't bother trying to get in early. It wasn't going to happen. Sailed the Bliss back in April to Alaska. I arrived around 12:30-ish. They checked me in right away and as I was walking on board, there was a family waiting in line and protested that I walked right on board while they still had to wait. Turned out they had mistaken their arrival time with their boarding time. They had been there for 2 hours waiting to board. Didn't stick around to hear how the agent dealt with them but they were getting pretty heated as I heard them while I was walking through the gangway opening protesting. Guessing they were waiting for their boarding number to be called.

I have read a couple of people say entertainment is worse on NCL recently. I've found it to be better. Syd's band is some of the best entertainment at sea. Yes, it's in a smaller venue. But, in a larger venue it just wouldn't work. Yes, you have to wait in line to see the shows. Sure of any good entertainment. Is it worth it? Absolutely. Million Dollar Quartet, Choir of Man, Donna Summer, etc....all are broadway caliber shows. I know SIX is going away (which his fine by me), but they're replacing it with something internally developed. If the quality of the internally developed shows is anything like the bands in the Cavern Club or Syd Norman's, my bet is it will be quite good. On smaller ships, shows are different because of the venues. But, on Breakaway and Breakaway plus ships, the entertainment is outstanding. Not starting yet another NCL vs Royal vs Celebrity vs Carnival thing. All of them have their fans and all of them are sailing near capacity, again. I'm Sapphire on NCL, Diamond on Royal and Elite on Celebrity. So, have sailed those lines quite a bit over the years. I can't remember what level I am on Carnival as I haven't sailed them in quite a while. They are all similar. To make a blanket statements about any of them is really a fools errand. And, your last experience on any of those lines tends to be a lasting one (hence my lack of recent Carnival Cruises). Does that mean all of the cruises on any given line is below par? Nope. But, I've sailed NCL more than any of the other lines. So, that makes me prefer NCL just from the personal data I have amassed. Reasons? -Afore mentioned Freestyle Cruising. Others try to duplicate it. But, they can't seem to get it right the way NCL does. -Overall quality seems to be a step above with NCL. ALL ships are beautiful. ALL ships are well kept with appealing accommodations. -It just seems NCL crew are more than willing to go over the top to make their guests happy. Will there be snafus? Sure. But, overall NCL seems to focus more on making the guests happy...even sometimes when guests are being unreasonable. -I have never encountered a grumpy NCL crew member. Can't say the same for either Royal or Carnival. -I've never encountered the lines on NCL or Celebrity as I've encountered on Royal. Lucky? Perhaps. Just a personal observation. -You have to try really, really hard not to find food you like on ANY cruise line. That's why I always chuckle when I hear someone state they didn't like the food on any given line. If that's the case, you aren't looking. Now, special food requests may be an issue. But, I've never had any problem finding something I like to eat on any cruise. All that said, I've never had a bad time on any cruise...on any cruise line.

LOVED the OL on the Bliss. Can’t recall the piano player’s name, either. But, she was excellent and I enjoyed having a beverage there just to listen to her. Her repertoire was broad and she was adept at all of it. On another note, I think Bliss is just about the perfect ship for an Alaska cruise. The OL is a major reason for that.

To me that’s the ONLY reason to go to Moderno. I might get a small piece of steak or chicken. But, the salad bar IS the star of the show. I must be a loaner….I like their sushi. 😉

Yep….many times confused. Arrival time has no bearing on the time you board. That’s a function of your cabin (Haven cabins board first), if you’re mobility impaired (e.g. in a wheelchair) and your Latitude status (Ambassadors for first, then the Diamond, Sapphire, etc go next). Then, the general boarding number you are given (1 through however many they have depending on the number of passengers who are boarding).

Maybe only at dinner time. And, probably only as part of the surf and turf on the menu, which means they’d had to do dinner set up in your room. Every time I’ve tried to deviate from the snacks they bring in the room daily, it’s usually only a minor change they can accommodate. Like getting chips instead of M&Ms. Even there, when I told the Butler I didn’t want snacks in the afternoon, he delivered them anyway. So, I guess you can request anything. Getting it might be a different story.

I recall my Butlers giving me a specific choice of snacks….M&Ms, nuts, canapés, finger sandwiches….never head off Lobster Tails. Would love to hear of anyone who got a Lobster Tail as an afternoon snack everyday at no charge!

Just in general, NCL seems to split the difference between RCCL and Celebrity. NCL is family oriented like Royal, but their service reminds me more of Celebrity. And, as has been pointed out, NCL is unique with both their FAS and Freestyle programs. Neither Royal nor Celebrity has anything comparable to Freestyle. They try to mimic it, but in reality, you still have to make reservations for dinners or face long waits. FAS is WAY cheaper than the Royal Drink packages and their Specialty Dining. Celebrity offers a nice "all inclusive" deal where drinks, tips, and some internet is included (albeit no excursion credits or specialty dining included). But, you pay for that in the form of much higher fares.

Hmmmm...sailing out of Marseille in October. No letter sent to me. Maybe because we're embarking in France? I have FAS, too. So, maybe that's the difference. That said, we're making a stop in Barcelona. It does seem to be a Spain thing, however.

I wonder what they'd charge to have a Lobster Tail delivered daily as a snack?