bellevuemountain

:confused:

Hi! Did a quick search before posting question but I'm guessing that I'm not using the right keywords :-)

Anyone can tell me what the weather is like on a Mediterranean cruise in January and if the Haven Courtyard is accessible? Or is it too cold and windy?

Thanks!

Hi! We've done it once just for the kick of it, combined with a trip in NY. First evening the hot pools were open but the next day everything was closed off because of strong winds. There are thermal passes but they tend to sell out quickly on such short cruises, you are better off getting a spa balcony.

I knew going in that it would be a party cruise (I don't party very much), and that's what i saw and heard.

Expect to spend more time inside the ship than on the decks.

Bye

Has anyone else had the issue recently where the Canadian exchange rate is $1.25 for the cruise rate itself but the taxes, beverage package and prepaid gratuities and any OBC you try to buy pre cruise is coming up at $1.33. I was always told the exchange rate you book at that everything pre cruise you buy is at that exchange rate. My cruise I booked back in Feb is like this but the cruise i booked last weekend is not. Maybe a rule change? No one I phone at NCL has the answer and keep passing me on to other people which tell me they don't deal with this. My travel agent is getting ahold of someone higher then the reservation department to try to get an answer but no luck so far. Anyone out there have any answers for this?

Was told the rate depended on the sailing date, not the booking date. A sales rep at NCL gave me that answer.

One year from today, I'll be married! We are getting married April 23,2016 on the NCL Spirit. I got my hair and makeup reserved this week. Now onto group hotel space.

Hi! Am curious! Who did you contact to get an appointment for hair/makeup? Can't find the option on my NCL!

Hi all,

 

I booked my cruise and sent save the dates to 45 family members and friends for a wedding aboard Norwegian Escape April 2016. Escape is a new ship so very little information is available and they are not accepting wedding bookings until the ship sails in October 2015. I would like to have a symbolic ceremony at sea with all my guests, hire a photographer for an hour and a dinner at one of the speciality restaurants to follow.

 

Anyone else booked for a wedding on a Norwegian ship?

 

Congrats to all the brides of 2016!

Hi! I was on the wrong thread...

Congrats to all, and yes!!!!! More details!

We've cruised both. I like both NCL and X but for different reasons.

 

I find the food on X to be much better in the main dining room but the specialty restaurants on NCL are good. So with the cheaper prices, we don't have a problem paying for the specialty restaurants. The buffet for dinner on NCL has a lot more choices than on X if you don't want to do a sit down meal. We generally don't go to the MDR on NCL, we don't enjoy it.

 

The beverage package on X is better because it includes water and coffee, on NCL it doesn't, we've never gotten it but we probably would next time.

You can bring on bottled water with no problems on NCL, we've never tried on X because we always have the beverage package.

 

We find the entertainment on NCL MUCH better than X. The newer ships have Howl at the Moon (dueling pianos) and other music venues, Grammy experience and Fat Cats blues bar which there is really nothing to compare to on X.

Also, we aren't fans of the big production shows but they are much better on NCL.

 

And if you are considering a suite, the Haven on the NCL ships is amazing. I've never been in a suite on X so I can't compare.

 

You can bring on 2 bottles of wine on NCL and they charge a corkage fee, not sure how much, we've never tried.

 

We've found the service on NCL to be just as good as on X, very friendly, professional at all times.

For a port intensive cruise where we won't be on the ship much, we'd be just as likely to do NCL as X but for a cruise where the ship is more of the destination we would lean towards X but we do miss the entertainment at night.

Very well resumed and helpful. I enjoy both cruise lines and would resume it exactly the same.

 

Right now, the choices are: Carnival Pride out of Baltimore to Grand Turk, HMC, and Nassau, NCL Dawn out of Boston to Bermuda, NCL Breakaway out of NYC to Bermuda, or X Summit out of NJ to Bermuda.

 

We enjoy just about everything about cruising, and are not overly picky about much. We also aren't super "adventurous" and like to be more laid back. The "night life" on a cruise isn't important to us, other than maybe a comedy show and the casino each night. We would be in bed by midnight, for sure. We like food, but tend to be pretty basic eaters: to us, a great steak or burger and a yummy potato side dish with an excellent dessert is perfect. We aren't much into seafood or "fancy" food, and we don't tend to spend extra on the Steakhouse, etc., except for maybe one night per cruise. We like to enjoy the pool, deck, spa (me only, maybe for one massage), casino, MDR, and enjoying a few shows. We don't love a "party" atmosphere all of the time, but a good deck party and some great music is always nice!

 

 

Some odd things that are important to us...is there bread on the table at dinner? We love bread! =) My hubby is a Coke drinker-how is the ease of service at the MDR and bars if he has an unlimited package? Is there an early dining time available (the kids need it) and if so, how easy or possible would it be to get a table for our group (10-12?) I am asking because I don't know the size of the dinig rooms or table arrangements on NCL. Has anyone taken a group and do they offer any kind of perk or discount?

 

!

I think they all seem to be good choices, guess it will depend on pricing! Based on the info you gave, the NCL Dawn and the X Summit to Bermuda seem to fit the bill. The food is more elaborate on the Summit than on the Dawn. Both very good, but a bit more formal on the Summit imho. I personally preferred the food on Celebrity (Blue restaurant for Aquaclass) and the entertainment on NCL (Every. Single. Time.) Bread on the table? Carnival was master in that domain. There are pros and cons with every cruise line, depends on what you're in the mood for at that moment.

Whichever you choose will be the right decision for your family!

As far as secure pricing goes, my best advice would be to not look back once you've chosen. You go with what you're comfortable with and try to not look back once final payment is done. Price drops could happen!

I agree with the others. What you'll remember years from now is the wonderful experience! Keep us posted!

Thank-you all... Am drooling as I write. Yummy.

For Sauer-kraut: burst out laughing. Guess I should have required more info before signing a contract for the wedding! The info came after having signed... Hence the questions! The Sun for a sunny wedding, Escape for eloping, Breakaway for the wedding on the rocks, ah, could go on and on...

For SuiteTraveler: could read your wedding anecdotes hours on end. You write so well it was easy to visualize the scenes. And yes, we'll have a small intimate wedding at home with the family, everyone's comments here have been very helpful.

I've got till the weekend to decide if there will be a symbolic wedding onboard the ship. We'll see what the wedding coordinator comes up with. Worst case scenario, I cancel minus a penalty fee.

ciao!

I was wondering about costs? Basic ceremony for 2 people? Ball park figure if possible or between X and X would do.

 

Thanks and good luck

 

Liverpool Jo

Hi Jodieh12! It's public info on the NCL website, here's the link: http://www.ncl.com/sites/default/files/Wedding-eBrochure_091415.pdf. Roughly speaking it starts at 1800 US.

Bye!

Hello all, I figured I would share an update on planning a wedding on a cruise ship. When I launched myself into this adventure, I couldn’t find much info. Hope it can help anyone!

First things first. Choosing your cruise line. I chose NCL for various reasons. Every cruise line has a dedicated subcontractor for weddings at sea. From the moment your choice is made, it’s with this specific firm you will exchange.

As far as wedding venues go, they are not limitless. The cruise ship allows the ceremony to take place in very specific areas. In the case of NCL Epic, the choices are as follow: Biscayne room, Bliss Lounge, Headliners comedy club, Fat cats and Manhattan room. I looked at the different pictures and for lighting purposes chose the Manhattan room (saw some gorgeous wedding pictures taken in the Manhattan room). I wanted a light and airy feel to the ceremony.

This is where you need to remind yourself that the number of guests will influence which venue is actually available to you. The prices are not adjusted to the room you choose. The room is adjusted to the number of guests you have.

My wedding coordinator is working hard to find a venue like the Manhattan room which has an actual ocean view and good lighting. Unfortunately, the great ideas posted such as being married by the captain on the bridge, getting married in the Haven lounge or deck, getting married in our suite are not viable options according to my wedding coordinator. I’ll find out more by the end of the week, shall keep you posted.

In the meantime, if anyone has wedding at sea questions, shoot away! I’ll do my best to accommodate.

Thanks! Will help in planning.

I don't think it is realistic to ask to take up a huge venue like the Manhattan Room for a wedding with only the bride and groom present. And why would you want to do that anyway? It seems to me that would just underscore the fact that you and your husband to be are alone on the ship. Instead, why not ask that you wedding be on the open deck? Since there are only 2 of you and then the NCL wedding planner onboard, photographer and Captain or other officiant could easily gather out on deck with the ocean in the background for some amazing wedding photos and a simple ceremony. You might even consider being in a suite in The Haven and having the ceremony in The Haven Courtyard, which is intimate and beautiful or in The Haven Lounge, which overlooks the Courtyard. Or splurge on an Owner's Suite for this very special occasion and have your ceremony there or on the large balcony of this suite. You need an intimate space for a wedding this small.

 

BUT...

 

what about your kids? Don't they want to be there to see their parents get married? What about your best friends? Don't they want to be there for you? If so, maybe it would be better to get married at home and have a honeymoon on the ship. Yes, even though you have been together for several decades and raised 4 kids, you STILL are entitled to a honeymoon. If you are looking for an inexpensive way to do a wedding with a few friends and your kids, then, consider booking at a nice restaurant during off hours on a Sunday afternoon. Usually, you can take over one of the party rooms or even the entire restaurant and if you choose a moderately priced restaurant, you might only need to pay for the meals. I'm a wedding planner with 30 years of experience and I've done beautiful weddings like this for as little as $14.99 per guest for a 3 course meal. There are many ways to do this and not make it too expensive and keep it low stress and fun for everyone.

Oh so many questions... Wedding planner with 30 years experience! Are all of us brides as nervous? I've got the jitters as though I were on the brink of giving birth! We've done everything in a non conventional way. We are doing it alone because we don't want to upstage the wedding dreams of the young ones, plain and simple.

Also, I must admit, I wanted THE dress. And I was very uncomfortable wearing a wedding gown in front of our grown kids. It was odd in my mind - did not compute. They are used to seeing me as "the mom", not a blushing bride in a gown :-)!

How wonderful!!

 

We are actually also on this cruise as our honeymoon!! If you did fancy having 'guests' we would love to be there!! :) (even if to share a toast after?)

 

I don't believe the EPIC has dark dingy rooms so fear not!

 

They will want to make the room private I would imagine. (unless your happy for the world to watch??)

 

Maybe one of the smaller restaurants?? Le BIstro, la cucina perhaps?

 

If you fancy something more public, how about the atrium or spice H20 in the outdoors?

 

If your set on Manhattan - maybe invite the roll call for that cruise to the wedding?

Well we most definitely need to get together for a toast!

It's more complicated than I thought for the wedding venue. I'll have a chat with the wedding coordinator, many good ideas popping up!

I'm curious, and probably a dumb question, but if an NCL Captain performs the ceremony, is that a legal ceremony or a symbolic ceremony?

 

Regardless, congratulations to you both. :)

There are no dumb questions!

Here's the info: for the wedding to be legal, there are several constraints. From what I gathered, the options in Europe were an island in Greece (which is already great) and another place I can't remember. From what we were told by our notary, it would have been very difficult for it to be legal where we live. Paperwork needed to be translated, red tape, etc. Paperwork signed with our notary before departure. My romantic wedding will be at sea, and will be a symbolic ceremony.

What would be the proper tipping range for butler / concierge? I read on one of the threads 10 per day / butler and 5 per day / concierge or accordingly to whom deal with more?

Hello everyone!

I am looking for any help or advice so that I can have an epic wedding on January 25 2016 (sea day).

A little about hubby to be and I. We are a mature couple who have been together for a long time but never married. We've raised 4 children, ranged between 26 and 22. Why get married should you ask? He popped the big question out of the blue after a health scare. I am really looking forward to this special day.

We both love cruising and figured that we would get married at sea and do our honeymoon in Europe.

Here's where I need help / advice. I've read everything I can about wedding at seas and I can't find much on a wedding for a party of two. I really wanted an ideal location on the ship, but have been told that since it's a party of two, the venue of the Manhattan dining room might not be possible. I do not want a dingy dark conference room for my wedding. I'd rather cancel.

Has anyone had a wedding for two onboard the Epic? What should I do to secure my dream location (think of the pictures)? Any other options? Find 200 guests? Any suggestions welcome!

Thank you so very much for your review. I am amazed by it! i will be getting married onboard the Epic in January 2016, too bad we weren't on the same cruise. You would have been invited for sure! Please keep up with your extraordinary work!

Wow an absolutely wonderful review - I am really enjoying reading it and your pics are fabulous. Glad to hear you 'walked' Barcelona - I truly believe that is how you really see and 'feel' this fabulous city. You got a lot done in your short stay - Good for you:)

 

(good move with the taxi too)

 

Looking forward to more - you are a great writer and it is immensely interesting. Thank you so much for taking the time to share with us:)

Ditto for me.