graphicguy

OP....getting back to your original concerns (or your son's in this instance). After all the comments, the bottom line is anyone who doesn't feel comfortable cruising, don't force them. If they want to cancel, let them cancel. Sailing with anyone who's uncomfortable doing so, regardless of the reason, will be unhappy. And in turn, probably make your cruise less than fun. Who knows? Maybe cruise ships are targets? I find it highly, highly unlikely. But, anything's possible. I think that's true whether it's today, tomorrow, next week, next year, next 5 years. Trying to convince someone to go on a cruise when they are scared probably will exhaust you and them. Tell them you understand and let them cancel. Go! Have fun! Don't let anyone else affect your enjoyment!

Or...it getting stuck in a place where I can't find it a week later (personal experience)!

OK…..pretty broad ask, but off the top of my head (having cruised RC, HAL, CCL, MSC and Celebrity, but mostly NCL)… Free at Sea (or what we like to call it, FAS)… -drinks up to $15 for no charge, but you pay for the tips for those drinks (20%). Includes a whole bunch of premium spirits, beers and wines, soft drinks. If you want something that’s not on the FAS drink list, FAS+ for an extra charge covers just about every liquor or drink you can think of (not Louis XIII). -$50 Excursion Credit is per cabin. Not a lot of excursions that are $50, but you can find some. Those are free. Everything else, just subtract $50 from the excursion charge -Specialty Dining Package (SDP)…..Again free except for the tip, which you pay for. Too many Specialty Dining restaurants that many times differ from ship to ship. Overall, they’re all good. -Internet….the included internet package includes a 150 minutes for ONE device. Check to see if your ship has Starlink internet. It’s WAY faster and more reliable than the Sat internet on the ships that don’t have it. I know Epic has Starlink, as I used it. I believe Prima, Viva, and the Break/Getaway ships do too (not sure). The rest? Who knows? But, without Starlink, you’ll spend a lot of your minutes just connecting to the ship’s internet, which is frustrating. Plus, you’ll eat up a lot of minutes because it’s so SLLLOOOOOOWWWWW! Dress Code….not really one. LeBistro Specialty Dining requires men wear long pants and socks, but only if you dine inside. If you dine in their al fresco area (which I highly recommend) no dress code. Reservations….some like making them. I do not. I’ve never had any issue dining in ANY restaurant without a reservation. Sometimes I had to wait 5 minutes or so. But, never felt the need for reservations. Pool…..They have them. They’re small. If you’re looking to do laps, that’s not happening. If you want to sun yourself, go to the upper decks away from the pools to find space. If one bar is really busy, walk about 75 feet in either direction of where you are, and you’re likely to find another one that’s NOT busy. Entertainment is varied. The bigger ships have the best entertainment. Don’t overlook the smaller venues as many times they have the best entertainment on the ship (I.E Cavern Club or Syd Norman’s). There are solo and duos playing in various areas throughout the ship. Bigger ships also have the Racetracks, Laser Tag and VR areas. Plenty of “regular” games like Bingo and trivia. Some ships have Deal or No Deal and Price is Right games. HAVEN….just a whole other level of service, privacy, dining with luxury all around from the Haven public areas to the suites. Personally, I wouldn’t pay over $4,000-$4,500 (I’ve paid as little as $3,800) for a Haven Cabin on a 7 day cruise. I’ve seen some crazy prices, though. Worth it? At what I pay? Most definitely. Over $5K? Not so much. I like NCL. They have ticked me off in the past. But, overall I sail them the most because they put out a good product and service for a “worth it” fare. Fire away with anything more specific.

How DARE you!!!!

Nothing beats a good jostling! 😁

I saw Burn The Floor and Million Dollar Quartet on the Getaway. Both shows are outstanding as is the entertainment in Syd Norman's. Not sure where the "drastic change" alluded to is.

Dang....that looks like it was taken from a Sony Trinitron! Love Stills' and Neil Young's "mutton chops".

We violently agree! LOL!

I think some of us (me included) have stirred up the interest in the Syd's show. I liked it....a lot. The group has 2-3 other shows that they perform throughout the week that showcases '70s and '80s music. None of it is Fleetwood Mac. I know there are different groups that perform the same show on different ships. I've heard two of them. Both were outstanding. Is the venue small? Sure is. But, trying to put it in a larger venue really would take away the club atmosphere that the show is best suited and designed for. So, if you really want to see it (and given the lines to get a seat are at least a 30 minute wait), you have to make a choice of whether to wait in line for 30 minutes (at least), or skip it altogether. UNLESS, you stay in the Haven. In which case, you get a seat about 40 minutes before the doors open and you have to wait around in Syd's with nothing to do. You will get a front row seat, though. Pick your poison. Is it worth it? I wholeheartedly say "yes". But, aside from the performers being every bit as good as what you'd see on Broadway, they are performing music right in the wheelhouse of what I like. I don't see NCL moving it to a larger venue for the reasons stated above. It just wouldn't lend itself to be as good. Being 5 feet or less is really part of the show....as is being in the "club" atmosphere. If you aren't interested in that genre of music and/or unwilling to wait in line, skip it. To me, it's again, some of the best entertainment at sea. PS...my sister is the one who turned me onto Fleetwood Mac as she took me to see them during the TUSK tour during "little sibs" weekend at her college. That caused me to seek out their other music, which is vast and varied. And my favorite.... https://youtu.be/RtmW2ek7WkQ?si=-q9IflhPtF-9he9H

Amen! Great song!!!!

As my late, great Father used to say…”you can trip, fall and crack your head stepping off your porch. Just don’t be stupid”. I’ve lived my life that way….hopefully successfully. Paranoia is real. Succumbing to it is optional.

I do think NCL’s WEB SITE is in serious need of a revamp. It’s not very reliable and it’s way slow. As such, obviously there’s a disconnect. The folks who man the seating station computer when you walk up, don’t see the reservations made on line before you cruise many times. If you want to make reservations, I’ve found those made on board are recognized. But again, even when I’ve been told there was a long wait (couple of times I was told there was a 30 minute wait at the NOODLE BAR), I would put my name in and have a seat within 5-10 minutes by just walking up.

I must be an outlier. I don’t make reservations for ANYTHING. I just show up to the restaurant I want to dine at, when I feel like it. I RARELY wait more than 5 or 10 minutes, if that. Mostly, I am seated immediately, I thought that was the purpose of Freestyle?

Bon Voyage, have a great time. Looking forward to your cruise posts.

I guess the brouhaha from a month ago will now die down. There’s the official proclamation. If you don’t want to pay Spain’s VAT, buy the FAS package.

?????? You were right between the two!!!!1

Lots of outdoor spaces on the Breakaway (The Waterfront). There are actually places to eat outdoors via Specialty Restaurants. For example, if you eat al fresco at LeBistro in their outside space (which to me is nicer than dining inside) you can forego any long pants (for men) or any "dressy" dress (for women). Pletinful comfy couches and chairs all around The Waterfront to just view the Ocean while reading a book or having a drink. Favorite Specialty Dining restaurants for me would be Cagney's and Ocean Blue. O'Sheehans has really good bar food all day (and I think, just about all night). Reservations really aren't needed. I know over the last half dozen years, I haven't made ANY reservations for ANYTHING. Just be flexible.

LOVE their crepes....apple...just like in the video!!!!!

That I kind of understand. You were by the Medical Center and the Elevators.

Funny you mentioned that. A friend of mine was on a Carnival Cruise about 6 months ago. It was a 3 or 4 day party cruise. So, they knew what they were in for when they booked it. Plus, it was cheap. Instead of sifting through the drunken body masses to get off at a Mexican port, they decided to just go down to the buffet for their meals and come back to hang out on their balcony. They had snuck some of those old liquor disguise bottles where you put liquor in things that looked like binoculars, shampoo bottles, etc. They put out a Do Not Disturb tag on the outside of their door. So, they were set. Somehow, their room steward never saw them leave when they went to the buffet. He reported the cabin to security. On the 2nd night, here comes security banging on their door. They assured them that everything was fine, but they wanted to come in to the cabin to check for themselves. Security found their ½ way consumed stash, which they confiscated. Moral of the story, don't let anyone who sneaks in alcohol get away with that if you can turn a blind eye to the drunks fighting on the pool deck.

The inside is awe inspiring, though. Amazing views of Barcelona if you climb the tower steps.

Just thinking back about wars in my lifetime…Vietnam was winding down as best as I can remember. Iran-Iraq-Russia war. I served in the Gulf. War in Kosovo. Global War on Terror. Frankly, there are so many skirmishes that are constantly cropping up around the world, one could probably huddle in their homes and never leave for the more paranoid of us. Can’t live life afraid!

I have ONE thermos (not sure the brand, but bought at Costco) that fits in my back pack side pocket. I use it for coffee, rinse it, use it for water, rinse it, use it for beer. After 20 something cruises, I realize the vast majority of what I USED TO PACK just wasn’t worth schlepping around and very unnecessary.

I am truly befuddled by what in the world this thread is about???????

Have had more than a few landings abort at first attempt. And yeah, they climb up fast to miss whatever in on and around the airport. Sometimes the plane is coming in too “hot”. Have had a couple have a “wind shear” issue that caused the pilots to abort the landing. Sometimes the runway isn’t sufficiently cleared of debris causing the pilot to decide to climb again and find another runway to land on.