bkrickles1

Maybe I'm getting old and forgetful but I thought you could begin the check-in process after final payment and then go back in at day 21 and choose your actual check-in time at the pier. I told my daughter this, who's sailing Escape in less than 60 days, and she's unable to do this. Am I misremembering or has that changed? TIA

I've never heard of that one, but I've found that most everything is covered under the fas drink package, except for higher end wines and liquors. You're covered up to $15 and then you pay the difference. I've never had to pay more for anything I've ordered on my last 3 NCL sailings.

I won't be happy until there are at least 7 threads in the forum about emuster.

I sailed Joy last summer and there was definitely Guinness in the District Brew House, as others have said.

I actually agree that less than 30% tip at the bars. I'm a tipper and, when I sail, I tip strategically at a few bars that I plan on visiting on a regular basis to be remembered and to show my appreciation. This has, as others have said here, gotten me some quicker service at the busier bars. Especially the pool bars. Now, going back to the 30% of people tipping. While I agree that probably less than 30% of passengers tip extra at the bar, I bet way more than 30% of the regulars on these forums tip and tip well. The vast majority of passengers never come to these forums and have no clue about so many things discussed on here. It's kind of humorous actually.

I don't know what happened to you on Encore. I sailed Encore in January, 2020 and our in person muster was no big deal. And, you would not love doing it on deck. It was always a longer muster drill out on deck, you had to wear your life jacket and because we always sail in warm weather it was always brutally hot wearing those lifejackets. Hopefully emuster is permanent.

I've been thinking about this thread since you started it and this is what I came up with. My first cruise, as an adult, was on the Celebrity Horizon with my wife before she was my wife in 1990, I believe. It was a beautiful ship and we thought it was the biggest a ship could possibly be.(46000 tons). Food and service was outstanding and it sold us on cruising for the rest of our adult lives and we'll be continuing the tradition with a sailing on Joy (for our 2nd time) in July. I've read your list a couple of times now and it's a good list and it's accurate. My feeling on the difference, simply, is that it used to be easier to cruise. I didn't feel the need to prepare a strategy. There were no reservations. Everyone didn't have a drink package, so it was quick and easy to get drinks. Everything was simple and fewer people were frustrated with the hoops you have to jump through now to do certain things. You're on vacation and shouldn't have any stress. Nowadays, cruising is definitely a little more stressful, and, if you don't prepare well, it can be a disaster. Now, of course, there are things that are better and may be worth some of the preparation and/or stress involved. I love having the drink package and it's nice to have many dining choices amongst other things. But I do miss boarding a ship without a care in the world and knowing that everything is available to me without effort. BTW, my point of view is from someone who never stays in the Haven or any exclusive space on a cruise ship.

I'm surprised so many complain about the in person muster. It's a dream gathering in one of the dining rooms for muster compared to not so long ago when we had to wear our life jackets and meet up outside by the lifeboats! I remember leaving on a cruise out of San Juan and standing outside with our lifejackets on in almost 100 degree weather, without a drink in my hand, and almost dying of heat stroke. Lmao! With that being said, love the emuster!!

I hadn't thought of this, but you're right! It will allow the crew to get us up and running a little more efficiently.

This is very good news, not that I ever had a bad experience with in person muster. We had this last summer on Joy and we liked it! We boarded around 11am and went immediately to make our reservations for shows and specialty dining and then went to our muster station to check in. We were done with our chores and sitting for lunch in Taste/Savor by 12PM. We're sailing Joy again in July and that will be the plan once again.

Same! We love hanging out on deck 17, overlooking the pool, on sea days because the 6am chair hogs don't bother up there and it's a great vantage point to watch the poolside activities during the day. We're sailing Joy again in July and I will look to sit in the same loungers we sat in last year. My wife thinks I'm crazy but she loves not having to look for me or others in our group, because she know exactly where we are every day.

This has been my strategy for many cruises. We are sun people and we sit in the exact same loungers every sea day and usually on the deck overlooking the pool. I will flag down a roaming waitstaff at whatever time they start (usually 9am) and order my first bloody mary. He or she will get $5 for the first drink and that always brings them back to see if I/we want more (which we always do lmao). And rather than tip every time we get something, I prefer to give $5 every couple/few drinks and hopefully get friendly with the staff. Last June, on Joy, we had the same man serve us for the entire 7 days and it was great! By the afternoon he was just automatically bringing what we wanted without asking. I know it's a form of bribery, but I'm very comfortable with it and it keeps me away from the crowded pool bar.

Had that chocolate cake on Joy last summer. Simply ridiculous!

I'm sorry to ask you in such an old thread, but I am anyway. Lol 😂 I'm sailing Joy to Bermuda in July, 2023 and my niece and nephew are joining us with there 1 and 5 year old girls. My niece wants to bring snacks to the beach for her girls. Stuff like small boxes of cereal, granola bars, cheese it's, etc. I told my niece that I believe that is all ok but then I started doubting myself. Anyway, what are your thoughts on this with regards to specifically Bermuda? TIA

I couldn't agree more. I have never sailed in the Haven and it's partly the cost, but it's mostly because we always sail with others and we never can get everyone to book it. For example, We're sailing Joy for the 2nd time in July and we have 13 (so far) in our group. Half the group can't really afford (especially right now) the Haven and my wife will not separate from our niece and nephew and the others. On top of that, I wanted to book Vibe now that you can do it ahead of time, and my wife once again refuses to be separated from everyone else. I told her that I was getting a pass just for myself and she said to go ahead and be the meanest uncle in the world. Lmao!!!! Anyway, I'm not that mean and I'll suffer. Lol! But, as others have said, if you are prepared for the ship your sailing you can thoroughly enjoy a cruise in any cabin.

then it's 3, total, as someone else said here.

Not a free area. Vibe beach club is an outdoor, adult only area but it costs. I had a great Encore sailing but I was disappointed with the amount of free sundeck space. I think Escape was best for this and Joy was 2nd.

Joy did not have it, which is puzzling as it shows it on the deck plans. Encore too. I know it's so as I went and looked and when you go up the stairs outside from deck 18 to deck 19, you run right into Vibe. No public deck space on 19 like Escape.

Sailed Escape in 2018 and had a great time! Great ship without the racetrack taking up half of it. Lmao!! It was our first NCL sailing in many years and has kept us with NCL since. It was also our first time experiencing Choir of Man, which is just an awesome show. They were still only performing in the supper club, which made it even better. We've since sailed Encore and Joy. Joy is almost perfect as it has Spice, Waterfront and Observation Lounge (but doesn't have COM). We enjoyed it so much, that we're joining some people to sail her again this summer with the exact same itinerary as last summer. We love Bermuda, so it'll be great!! Anyway, enjoy the Escape. We never stay in the Haven or get Vibe passes as we're always travelling with others who either don't want to pay or have small children and we found a great area on deck 19, right outside of Vibe, that has it's own bar, whirlpools and plenty of loungers. It took a couple of days for others to discover it and I really enjoyed that spot.

I will just add that we dined at Q on the Encore and used one of our dining perks and, while we enjoyed it, we didn't feel it was worth using the perk. So last summer, when we sailed on Joy, we didn't do dinner there using a dining credit and instead went and ordered just a couple of things to nosh on while we listened to music. And, on Encore, the 2 best restaurants that we enjoyed using our perk on were Onda and Los Lobos. Los Lobos was really so good.

There's a bar and a few high tops near it. Also, Q becomes more of a club when they stop serving food around 9pm. We stopped by several nights at around 10 pm to have a drink and listen to a little country music. Fun place.

This is good news for me! Thank you! Now I can talk my wife into going back to Horseshoe Bay. She loves it as much as I do but she gets weird about doing the same thing over and over. Lol 😂 That's why we've tried every crappy pizza joint in our neighborhood even though we found the best ones almost 20 years ago. Thanks again.

My wife is bored! Lmao!! We've been to Bermuda many times and have gone to Horseshoe Bay every time. I love it there and want to go back when we sail there in July but my wife wants to try something different. We're looking for a beach with all the same characteristics as Horseshoe and we'd like to have chair and umbrella rentals available too. Can someone help a husband looking to make his wife happy? TIA

I had a good experience both times I've taken advantage of the perk and would do it again.

I've gone in and seen it twice now. Not sure why you don't