kmb388

Thanks for sharing your review! We were on the same cruise (me, DH, and 5 y.o. DD) and I too had read some grumblings in advance, and even some in a Facebook group from fellow cruisers during our cruise. 

We had a wonderful trip and I just wanted to add to your positivity. Some highlights: 

• Our steward, Gilbert, was attentive and caring. He greeted us by name on the first or second night (which is incredibly impressive considering passenger changeover, but especially to me who struggles to remember names).
• Splash Academy. DD went several evenings and would have stayed the whole cruise if we let her. She seemed engaged in fun and activities and we felt she was well cared for. 
• Food and service. We wanted for nothing* and were always promptly served, food and drink were tasty. We especially liked the Cavern Waterfront bar and The District. Our breakfasts and lunches were generally in the Garden Cafe or The Local. One dinner was at Cagney's, one at Teppanyaki, and then a mix of Taste/Savor and The Manhattan Room. *In past cruises (more than 6 years ago), I remember getting cookies at milk treat in the Garden Cafe before heading to the cabin for the evening. The late night snack options are soft serve in the Garden Cafe or ordering at The Local. This is *not* a big deal at all, it was more a nostalgia thing that I had hoped to relive on DD's first cruise. 

Best advice that we've received and given is to pack your patience and remember you're on vacation 🙂 Moments of annoyance we encountered were typically connected to other cruisers:

• Chair hogs, as noted
• Tendering and disembarkation: The "system" is most efficient when everyone follows the process. There were so many people that disembarked in New York and were trying to find their luggage during the "carry your own" timeslot. Not only were some unsuccessful, but it also caused delays and congestion for everyone else trying to move through. Same with tendering earlier than one's assigned time. 

NCL could have a role in being more strict on these behaviors, but one thing they could directly address is tender boats/infrastructure at GSC. We were fortunate to be on a tender with a roof covering the upper deck - not all tenders had that and your experience could range from uncomfortable to dangerous depending on your day at the beach. We also left GSC about 90 minutes before the last tender, so didn't have the lengthy wait many others experienced. 

All in all, a wonderful trip. We came back rested, relaxed, and filled with new memories. 🙂

4 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

You might need to rethink your criteria.

: ) Thank you! Figured I'd throw out all of our puzzle pieces and see if they would magically fit together. Looking like we'll go with a traditional balcony. I'm sure dad will be thrilled either way!

4 hours ago, leaveitallbehind said:

no RCI or Celebrity ships have forward facing balconies

Thank you for your help as we narrow our options!

3 hours ago, Markanddonna said:

I just googled the NPS notice about the next ten years and they are continuing their seniority policy for Glacier Bay which means HAL and Princess have 71 assured permits

Thank you for this research.

4 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

A little research on the Alaska board, here:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/33-alaska/

 

would reveal Holland America and Princess have about 70 or 80% of the Glacier Bay permits. NCL does have some. 

 

HAL doesn't have forward facing balcony cabins, and don't believe Princess has many. Many complain forward facing balconies are are almost useless when the ship is moving- very windy, and in Alaska, very cold. Aft facing balconies might be the better idea.

 

"Budget friendly" is a very vague term, and Alaska isn't cheap. You need to define this better.

Thank you so much! Naturally, I (re)discovered the Alaska board after posting here -- too long since our last cruise and my last stint on CC!

My husband and I had a forward-facing balcony on our NCL Alaska cruise in 2015 and my dad is attracted to that from our pictures. He has never cruised before.

I agree, "budget friendly" is vague and subjective. As far as cruises go, we know Alaska is pricey v. other destinations. Suites are out of our range. We know we want at least one balcony (for my dad) and a nearby cabin for us (balcony or not, depends on budget). Our 2015 cruise on NCL (two adults in one BC balcony) was $3000. It would be ideal to be in that "proportional" range, though obviously scaled up for the increase in passengers and cabins.

Can you help us book our next cruise? My dad (in his 60s), my husband and me (in our 30s), and our will-be two-year-old are looking to cruise Alaska in June 2020. Once we lock in, other family members may decide to tag along (one mature high schooler, and others ages 30-60s).

We are looking for:

>Two cabins
>Budget-friendly
>Visits Glacier Bay
>One-way (no preference NB or SB)
>No preference on line (have only cruised with Norwegian - positive experience, but not loyal to the line)
>At least one forward-facing balcony* (depending on cost, we could book one balcony and one inside/oceanview, or two balconies)

*My husband and I cruised Alaska in 2015 on the Norwegian Sun. We were very, very fortunate to book one of the four generously-sized BC Forward-Facing Balconies (Deck 11, Cabin 1002). Do such "baseline" forward balcony cabins exist on other ships?

Thank you SO much for your help!

You said you began the disembark process at 9:15 - was that when you chose to leave or when they first let anyone off the ship?

We were on the same cruise as OP and disembarked closer to 10. Advertised disembarkation times started much earlier -- 7:30 or 8 AM.

There may be some confusion between "aft balcony" and "aft-facing balcony".

 

The aft-facing balconies are different depths depending on deck. An aft-facing balcony on deck 11 will have 2 loungers.

 

Certain side balconies are large enough for a lounger and some are not. On deck 11, most side balconies will not have room for a lounger. Some exceptions are the angled balconies such as 11182/11782, 11296/11896, etc. and the aft-most balconies (11310/11910).

Thank you for clarifying, Two Wheels Only! Yes, we were in an aft-facing balcony on deck 15. Sorry for unnecessary confusion!

Was there a 'formal night' in main dining room ie Manhatten room on any night? A night with lobster tails?

What is VIBE? I'm booked for March 4th cruise on Escape

Also, tried for dining reservations. Couldn't get other than 9:30. Do some open up if try to book on cruise?

I heard from someone else that lobster tails are no more. Not a replacement, but there are prime rib and short rib nights ... :)

We didn't purchase the UDP until we got on board, so while more reservation times were available, it seemed they were getting booked up quickly. We just made all of our reservations that first night on board to ensure we got what we wanted, though like the OP said, things can change throughout the cruise!

We did not have loungers on the balcony, only two chairs and a little table. Not sure if others had loungers though

We had an aft-facing balcony on deck 15 with two loungers, two chairs, and a small table. The balcony was pretty deep -- I wonder if the aft sizes are different because of how the decks are tiered?

Hi new2cruising26 and CrusieCritic family! We (my husband, David, and I) were on this cruise, too! We're from suburban Chicago and this was our third cruise and third time sailing with NCL.

Little late to the post-cruise party as getting back into the swing of things at work was more challenging than expected (many of the people I work with are sick now or were sick last week; I said I should take another cruise to stay away from the germs ... washy washy!). :)

CruiseCritic was also very valuable to us in preparing for our cruises, so I'd like to return the favor and figured this would be a good spot since we were on the same trip.

Casinos at Sea booking

We received emails from Casinos at Sea in Fall 2016 regarding a free cruise offer. We spent some time in the casinos during our previous two cruises, but we weren't and aren't "big" gamblers, so we didn't see how it was possible that we would have been selected for this offer. Our skepticism got the best of us, though, and we called in. Ultimately we booked a forward oceanview cabin on deck 9 with the Ultimate Beverage Package (as this was technically an inside booking that was upgraded, we only received one Free at Sea offer, though we added on the three meal Ultimate Dining Package on board).

Perhaps this is common knowledge for frequent CAS guests, but as it was new to us, I'll share a few more details. The value of an inside cabin is comped, so in addition to the admin fee and tax/port fees, we elected to pay an additional charge for the oceanview upgrade. Our beverage service fee was also paid at this time of booking (mid-November, after final payment due).

NCL Upgrade Bidding

I've explained elsewhere that we did also bid on an upgraded cabin. Ended up in an aft-facing balcony, deck 15. A little concerning on our first night with noise from Spice H20 and morning chair noise from the Garden Cafe, but we adapted. Just remember if your bid is accepted, you do not get to select the specific cabin where you will be assigned.

Embarkation & Sail Away

This process at the port was a breeze. We arrived at the port at about 10:15 AM and were on board just before noon. Lunch at Taste felt slow, but we chalked it up to the first day and everyone boarding and eating at the same time. I should note at this time that we also traveled with my aunt. She also had a balcony, but did meet up with the solo crusiers group on embarkation day. She didn't really participate in any of the other solo events, but really appreciated that activities were planned. Though she wasn't in a studio, she was invited to the studio lounge and felt very welcome. Kudos to NCL, on her behalf, for providing this welcoming atmosphere for solo cruisers.

Shows

We saw After Midnight, Brat Pack, and Oh What a Night and liked them best to least, in that order. People around us loved/hated each show; there's no pleasing everyone! A CruiseCritic friend we met at the Meet & Greet encouraged us to go to one of the shows even though we didn't have reservations ... walked in without issue!

Food

The food, as always, was delicious. We used our UDP for Teppanyaki, Moderno, and Le Bistro. Like new2cruising26, I love hibachi at home, so Teppanyaki is always a must for me. My husband really likes Le Bistro, but I think we both agree that we can pass on Moderno in the future. Food is great, but you need to have a serious appetite! Our other dinners were in the Manhattan Room; loved the ambiance.

Many on these boards have asked about making reservations -- while more times/dates are opened when on board, I'd recommend making reservations as early as possible to get what you really want. We purchased the UDP at Headliners after the muster drill, and the staff member was a little hesitant to sell the package to us unless we made reservations right at that moment (so we would actually secure restaurants/dates/times that we preferred since they were booking quickly).

We had lunch in Margaritaville twice, but never tackled the famous nachos. The bartender in Margaritaville, Yum, has received so much praise on the boards, and it's well deserved. My aunt has an agave allergy (funny to go to Margaritaville, right?!) but Yum delivered with a delicious drink that she greatly enjoyed.

We also enjoyed cupcakes from The Bake Shop (it was my aunt's birthday) and gelato (why not?). Definitely a nice treat!

Phone service

While docked in USVI we had cell service. I'm assuming it was AT&T or an affiliate network as that is my provider at home and I was not charged roaming. The network in BVI was Flow (roaming for me) and I didn't have any coverage in the Bahamas.

Staff drill

We left the ship at about 10:30 Tuesday morning (USVI) as the staff was beginning a safety drill. Ample warnings were given that a drill would be conducted, though warnings weren't given that elevator use would be suspended for a few minutes. Didn't impact us ... just FYI. It may have been a complete coincidence, or perhaps part of the drill, but there was very limited use of public restrooms at this time, too.

Escape amenities

Our previous experiences have been on smaller ships, and I think that may be our preference. The Escape certainly offered many amenities to keep us entertained, but even on our last day, we still took a wrong turn or two trying to navigate the ship! We enjoyed playing mini golf and I had fun on the ropes course.

I do agree with others, though, who aren't thrilled with the casino location. Though I mentioned we do gamble, we don't smoke ... and that smell does carry through to other areas mid-ship because of the openness of decks 6, 7, and 8.

We brought a power strip with us on this cruise as it was recommended to us prior to our first cruise, and came in handy. Never used it in our cabin on the Escape, though (did come in handy at FLL airport :) ). Our bedside lamps had USB charging plugs, which was great for our phones. I've seen others on here ask about TV jacks, if you were to bring a portable DVD player, for example. There is an HDMI port ... I have a picture of the side of the TV if anyone is actually interested.

Thanks to another recommendation from CC, we brought lanyards for our room key. Remembered to pack it in our carry on, too! Went straight to Guest Services when we boarded to have our keys hole punched.

Disembarkation

My aunt flew out of Miami and opted to catch a cab to the airport upon disembarkation. There is absolutely no shortage of cabs available at the port. We flew out of Ft. Lauderdale and opted to purchase the bus transfer through NCL thinking it would be a well-oiled machine. I understand that any number of things can disrupt a timetable on disembarkation (clearing customs, earlier groups disembarking, etc.), but when we got off the boat slightly before 10 AM (last group) it seemed as if nearly every other passenger needing a bus to FLL was still waiting at the port for the shuttle. This was complete chaos - when two buses finally arrived, everyone swarmed the door. As best as I could tell, tickets weren't checked/there was no sort of passenger list. It was just a free-for-all. A third bus eventually arrived (and we had a late flight so we weren't in a terrible rush), but this really wasn't organized. Should we cruise out of FL again, we'll look at different shuttle options, or taxi to MIA.

I could go on and on about this trip ... was exactly what we wanted: warmth and relaxation. I hope this is as helpful to others as CruiseCritic has been for me! Please let me know if you have other questions!

Offering non-Haven, non-suite perspective: :)

We had originally booked OA. Minimum bid per person for a balcony was $25 and mini-suite was $50. We bid $65 each to upgrade to any balcony and received B1 (aft balcony). We received notice of the upgrade three days before sailing.

This shouldn't be new information to anyone, but just a reminder: you do not control the cabin you will be assigned with an upgrade. Everything ended up working out for us and we had a delightful cruise, but I think we will likely pass on upgrades in the future in order to retain control over our initial cabin selection (assuming we're still talking oceanviews and balconies, and not Haven, etc!).

Just cruised on the Escape last week. Shower gel and shampoo were provided in dispensers within the shower. A hand soap dispenser was located next to the sink, and separate bar soap and lotion were also provided in the bathroom. We brought other items (conditioner specifically), so didn't ask if it was available.

Norwegian does, too.

We were told in November by our PCC that military/veteran rates would be discontinued per company policy, but it seems as if that was just a rogue PCC. We have since been reassigned to a new PCC, and NCL has posted their military rates for 2013 on their website. You can view these designated sailings under the "specials" tab.

I wouldn't cancel. Have a wonderful cruise! I would ask guest relations or customer service at ncl to switch your pcc.

This is a horribly naive question, but is that possible? We have only been on one cruise, where we purchased a future cruise credit and were apparently assigned a PCC. He was relatively helpful and attentive at first. About two months ago, though, we were looking to lock in for our next cruise and had a handful of questions. We e-mailed him these questions (so we had the exchange for our reference, and to make sure our thoughts were concise), but when he responded, he only addressed one topic - and not sufficiently. Asked on two more occasions to address each of the questions, he responded in the same manner as his first response. Now he just ignores our calls and e-mails.

It's rather disappointing, though I suppose if it's easy enough to request someone new, we can try that route. Otherwise, we can just as easily work with an outside group...

Just wanted to follow up on here that as of Dec. 28 (according to the PDF file name on the NCL website), NCL has posted military discounts for select 2013 sailings. To find this listing, go to the NCL website, hover over specials, select military from the drop-down menu, and then click on the list of special sailings PDF.

So, there are some options. I guess this has restored some of my confidence in NCL, but we will proceed with caution and skepticism. This posting of discounts doesn't detract from the fact that our NCL Cruise Consultant told us in the beginning of December that NCL had changed its company-wide policy: no more military offers. There was a breakdown in communication somewhere.

The other thing that causes me to raise an eyebrow: we booked our cruise in Feb. 2011 for Jan. 2012, with a military discount. So the equivalent would be having offers for 2014 cruises posted now, and that's not the case. We're a young couple looking to start a family and need to plan ahead for our cruises - more than just a few months.

So in sum, I'm glad NCL has apparently reversed its policy, and I do hope some of our friends can take advantage. Maybe, as Kilnwood suggests, NCL is just moving more in line with other companies - to offer discounts closer to the sailing date, instead of more advanced notice.

And finally, Kilnwood, thank you very much for your kind words, and for your family's sacrifices for our country. You do make a good point - that future discounts may become available down the road. I hope that as we plan for a cruise in 2014, we will be able to take advantage of something as it comes available.

Your cruises sound like incredible adventures, and I hope one day we are able to share in some of those fantastic trips, too!

Best wishes, everyone, and happy new year!

Hi fellow military cruisers,

In Feb. 2011 my fiance and I booked our Jan. 2012 cruise on Norwegian using the veterans discount. We didn't have a preference to any particular company as this was our first cruise, but because NCL seemed so genuinely veteran-friendly, we were impressed. Well, we couldn't be happier; we LOVED it. While onboard, we even made an advance deposit on a future cruise, thinking Alaska in 2014 sounded pretty nice.

Earlier this week, NCL released its 2014 schedule and, excitedly, we started researching dates, routes and ships. Thinking we would book to coincide with one of the selected veteran discounts, we checked the Military link on the NCL homepage under the "Specials" tab. Much to our disappointment, it appears that the veterans discount is being phased out by the end of the year - a corporate decision that was confirmed yesterday by our cruise consultant.

Let's be honest. The discounts offered were not drop-dead-book-immediately deals. I think the average might have been 5% off on select dates/routes. But to us, NCL's commitment to veterans meant much more than any monetary discount, and heavily influenced our decision to sail with NCL versus a competitor. It seemed like the very opposite of an empty gesture.

Now, though, I'm not so sure. I feel let down by NCL. Again, this isn't about money. This is about supporting a company who is making a conscious decision to do the right thing.

I've been playing phone tag with my cruise consultant to try and better understand this policy change, but I wondered if any of you had encountered this and/or heard from NCL?

Do you cruise on a different line that is committed to honoring our veterans and active military members?

Thanks and best wishes!

Yes Harrahs is linked with NCL to an extent.....If you get a Free NCL Cruise from Harrahs youll also get the Free Drink Card....

 

You can Book a NCL Cruise Directly through Harrahs and based on your Total Rewards Member Status like Gold, Platnium, Diamond etc...You get a Higher Discount on the Cruise than booking direct through NCL....

 

Last year was our first NCL Crusie as We got the Free Cruise Certificate from Harrahs, once onboard We also got the Free Drink Card....

 

This Year We decided to book NCL for our Alaska Cruise in May...I called Harrahs and got a few Different Rates from them..The Rep didnt really know what she was doing but finally got it right......The Next Day I called CAS Direct and got a much better rate dealing directly through them compared to Harrahs Rate based on our last cruise....

 

Also While playing at Harrahs theres No Extra Advantages from having Gambled on NCL...

 

So Try Both and see who gives you the BEST RATE....Probally CAS will for sure if youve already cruised on NCL and signed up with them(CAS)..

 

Good Luck...

Thanks so much for your help and advice! Funny you should mention Alaska, that's definitely on our radar for next cruise. We'll have to shop around for the best rate.

Thanks again!

My boyfriend and I just finished our first cruise about two weeks ago, so even though I'm technically not a "newbie" anymore, I'm afraid I have a very naive question... apologies in advance!

Are Harrah's and NCL Casinos at Sea cards linked in any way?

We both signed up for CAS and donated to the cause throughout the cruise (haha). As we extended our vacation and drove home, we stopped at a Harrah's casino and asked about any affiliation and the customer service woman said none to her knowledge. So is it just a one-sided deal: play at Harrah's and receive perks for NCL, or are they reciprocal and earn both ways?

And while I'm on a roll with newbie questions: are the discounts/perks better booking through CAS, Latitudes, plain ol' NCL.com, or do they all end up together in the end?

Thanks for your help!