Tutontow

Thanks for the great review. I would much rather take two cruises in a balcony rather than one in The Haven. Now if money was no object........

For some unknown reason my Carnival offers have dried up. My NCL offers keep coming. IMHO NCL offers a better product and certainly better entertainment.

Having the unlimited drink package is a huge benefit. On Carnival we always had free drinks in the casino and no where else.

On NCL if things are going bad in the casino or the casino isn't opened I can usually find a nice place to hang out and maybe even enjoy some live music with a nice drink in my hand courtesy of the unlimited drink package.

So far Carnival has done me a favor by not giving me any offers of late. One cruise on NCL and now I have three comped cruises booked with them.

We play blackjack and let it ride. It didn't go too good for us.

I was in a mini-suite on Escape and a friend in a balcony. To answer your question both rooms are exactly same with the following exceptions.

 

1. Room is bigger to fit a bigger bathroom

2. Dual vanity sinks

3. Full shower (not tub) but the area is as big as a tub (very nice)

4. Upgrade shower head with 6 body jets (these were very nice too)

 

All in all we thoroughly enjoyed the extra space in the bathroom but the rest of the room is the same as a regular balcony which we were very happy with as well. After stating in this room i have reason to want Haven area, unless you like the pampering which is a personal choice, for us we rather save the money and go on more cruises.

 

Hope this helps!

Thanks so much for this information. You just saved me $400.00.

This guy is mad because one of his ports got cancelled. He has been posting all over the ncl facebook page for months now. Sadly he cannot move on and enjoy his life but rather needs to endlessly vent over something that is common to all cruise lines. Bottom line is that he failed to read the contract and he is blaming ncl for that!

Okay, Thanks, you saved me the trouble. It is just what I suspected. One thing really sets somebody off and then it just compounds. I force myself not to fall into that trap. In all honesty sometimes it takes a good bar and plenty of booze to make it all go away but I will do whatever it takes.

I refuse to let one or two lousy experiences ruin my entire trip. For that matter I go in expecting 6 or more things to not be to my liking and I just move on.

To get a little of topic a birthday trip to Orlando went downhill fast. We found a good bar with cheap beer and a pool table. We wound up having a blast.

I got sick on the Epic when I lost $300 playing roulette in the casino

Don't feel bad 6K loss playing Blackjack on the Epic. At least I am taking two comped cruises but it still stings. BTW it was the best cruise ever. The staff, food, entertainment were stellar. And yes, even my room was cleaned on time:cool:

I have only been on the Epic but I totally agree about O'Sheehan's. I looked forward to it so much and was so disappointed. The specialty restaurants made up for it and dinner in the main dining room was so very good.

Thanks for the review.

It seems like cruise ships and the LV strip have pretty much ruined BJ. It looks like I might just play the pass line on craps my next cruise.

Two things come to mind. We were on the Epic. The first day, as soon as we boarded we headed to the bar. We had a great time. When we left I gave our waitress a $10.00 tip. We had the drink package so this was on top of the 18% that was already billed to our account. A couple of days later I was in the casino and didn't want to wait for our server. I ran over to O'Shehans for a beer and the line was a mile long. The waitress I had tipped three days earlier saw me and got me my Mick Ultra even though the line was a mile long.

On the same cruise we were front row center for "Priscilla Queen of The Desert" It was totally amazing.

I would cruise A LOT if I lived in Florida!

Exactly. We are both 60 and thank God healthy. We planned and saved for retirement so we are doing pretty good financially.

We live in central Florida. We both like to gamble, we budget for it. NCL really treats their gamblers well. We pretty much have a "free" inside cabin anytime we want it.

Before anyone starts with the "it is not free, you pay for it at the tables", we have been taking gambling vacations for over 30 years. We are going to gamble whether here locally at the Hard Rock or Biloxi, so to us they are "free" because we would gamble even if we didn't get anything comped.

Okay, in my long winded way we do cruise about four times a year but according to my wife that is way to much. She wants to road trip to the southeast USA.

Oh well all the stress of retirement:cool::cool::cool:

SOOO much depends on where you want to travel to and what your expectations are in terms of food, service, beverages, entertainment, tours etc. The only place we found where it is less expensive and still provides luxurious services compared to cruise lines is Southeast Asia (which is why we were actually alternate vacations between cruises and Thailand/Indonesia/Laos/Vietnam. On the other hand in terms of wear and tear on the traveler, nothing beats a cruise ship. Even on a recent first class trip to Vietnam, where we had five star hotels in the car, driver, and guide it Still meant constant packing and unpacking. In land arrangements, we tend to eat in local restaurants and Street stalls (no ultra fancy preparations but sometimes mind-boggling flavors-often for $10-$15 for dinner for the two of us.) But those vacations although immensely pleasurable are work. Cruising is pure relaxing joy - maybe a bit less so in court intensive itineraries where we've never been before but still nothing like arranging hotels, cars, trains, etc. Thankfully, if you have enough time off,you can do both!

I totally agree. My wife cruises only because I like to cruise. She prefers road trips and she does all of the driving, I navigate. I tell her I love cruising not so much for the ports. Living in Florida and sailing from Florida I have been to most ports from Florida way too many times.

I love cruising because it is so convenient from Florida and once you are on the ship the vacation has begun. It is all laid out for you. Your accommodations, your transportation, your restaurants, bars, and entertainment. You can do as little or as much as you want to. You never wake up having to pack, grab a quick breakfast and have to map out the next leg of your journey and do it all over again (except debarkation day, which I hate).

NCL is the best when it comes to casino offers

Absolutely agree!

Everytime you play and give them your keycard, that play is tracked. Based on how many points you accumulate during the cruise and how much you won/lost, the casino host (players club desk) will take care of some charges from your onboard account on the final night. Normally this is in the $50-200 range for my play, only if you loose a lot are they willing to give more. Cannot be used for DSC, but gift shop, spa and most other onboard expenses qualify.

 

If you played a lot (10+ hours) during your last cruise and were logged in at the tables they will have a record of your play and it should qualify for some rewards. When ready to book the next cruise, just give them a call (1-800-PLAYNCL) and ask if they are willing to offer anything based on your play. Maybe they will comp an inside cabin (you still pay taxes and admin fee), or give a 20% discount...

 

Good Luck!

Thanks for that information. Do you have to go down to the players club or does it show anywhere on your cabin TV?

I am new to NCL and CAS. I didn't even know about the OBC during my last cruise. I hate to think what I left behind because, like you we play $50.00 BJ. Where can you see your OBC and how much it is? Can you use it for DSC gratuities and the gift shop?

I was able to get a 10 night cruise and rt air for two people for 2300.00. That's 115 pp per day. I don't think that's too bad considering it includes most everything. My DIL thinks that Disney is the BEST value around...Somehow I can't warrant spending four grand for two people for 7 nights, not including your food or airfare and spending your time waiting for bus' to take you around to the parks and not even including food, except, if by chance you can get the dining included. But spending 8 to 12 hours a day on my feet in the heat can't even come close to a relaxing balcony with the sea breeze and a cocktail.

Years ago we had a bunch of wild fires here in Florida. Disney gave us firefighters free admission to every park and half price on food and hotels. This went on for two months. Even then I felt it was way overpriced.

If a person really wants to watch their money I recommend buying a popup camper. It is a great experience that will really bring your family together. Force yourself and your kids to disconnect. Play board games in the evening hike, swim, fish and site see during the day. It will force you and your children to spend quality time with each other. It will also teach your children how do things on a serious budget. If they absolutely hate it, camping will make them appreciate all the creature comforts they have when they get home. Me personally I think it would be good for everyone to disconnect and converse around a campfire once in awhile.

My best guess would be storage and/or production kitchen perhaps for the deck 16 garden café. My wild guess! :)

Part of the space might be technical/vertically at the most forward part.

 

At your specific stateroom there will be a crew staircase that is mirrored to the guest' one with some crew elevators.

Browse some older indoor megablock pics which might show the gap layout for them. :)

Thanks. I most likely won't move again. I really like the location of my cabin. A quick trip up and I have the Observation Lounge. I can enjoy a couple of drinks and bring food and a drink back to my balcony. A little further upstairs and I am at a pool deck. I guess after a couple of sailing post April I will know whether to move or not. Thanks again I really appreciate the information you share with us.

Does anyone know what the open area is on deck 15 behind The Observation Lounge? We were booked directly under the Fitness Center and then I moved to Cabin 14148 in hopes of getting a cabin above me and below me. I didn't have a deck plan in front of me when I switched cabins. I think we will be okay but I have plenty of time to switch again if I have to.

Tutontow, when you switched & did your 1st sailing with NCL, did you call & talk to a casino rep, & get an offer, or did you just make a regular booking-regular price?

They would only give me 10% off until they saw our play. We normally play $25.00 blackjack with a 1k per day ($500.00 for me, $500.00 for my wife) bankroll. We had an absolute blast on our CCL cruises but I will say when people say NCL is a step up they are correct. The broadway style shows and the live entertainment is fantastic. As I stated above the fact that drinks anywhere on the ship and three gourmet meals were included in the price is a big plus.

Did anyone else notice that the Observation Lounge will have complementary food and a bar??

 

Take time to relax with a complimentary bite to eat morning, noon and night. Interactive screens will help identify every incredible view, whether the glaciers of Alaska or the pristine beaches of The Caribbean. And with a full-service bar, you can toast colorful sunsets with your favorite cocktail.

I suspect I will be on a first name basis with the bartenders in that lounge. My cabin is right down the hall from it.

More than likely, NCL wins....they get your money one way or the other. :evilsmile:

You said it perfectly.

The Haven is nowhere near my price range!

 

 

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Ditto, I have to make a choice gamble or The Haven. Guess which one wins every time.

I cruised with Carnival for four years starting in 2012. Being retired we sail roughly four times a year. We were comped inside cabins and premier cruises. It was a total blast. Then all of a sudden the offers dried up. I mean we are not getting anything. We haven't changed our style of play at all. As a matter of fact on our last CCL cruise we gambled more at a higher level than usual. We play Blackjack and the first night we got up quite a bit. The remainder of the cruise we played hot and heavy. We used all the tricks, being friendly, talking to the pit critters and tipping like crazy. To make a long story longer we left close to 4K ahead and never received any type of offer.

In frustration, after many wonderful CCL cruises, I switched to NCL. Wow, it is night and day. First off with the drink package and the dining package included in the price of the fare you don't have to play the points game to get a comped drink or specialty restaurant.

The entertainment and MDR food are light years ahead of CCL.

Finally and most importanly I am amazed at the cruise offers I have received. I just call up CAS and tell Anthony the dates and the ships and he works it out. I don't have to wait for an offer and I can basically book as many or as few cruises as I want. Yes I have to pay an upcharge for a balcony or mini suite. I have a nice balcony cabin on The Bliss for two, 7 nights in the Mexican Riviera, with the UDP and gourmet restaurants for $1200.00 including taxes and fees.

IMHO there is no rhyme or reason how CCL treats their players. They are the first casino I have heard of that actually takes into account whether you win or lose and not just how long you play at at what bet level.

I have spoken at great lengths with other players on CCL and have read on these boards, you would have an easier time craking the Enigma that cracking CCL's comp rating system.

On a good note I have a better time on NCL and they do offer some shoe games.

In all my years of cruising I have lost only twice on cruises.I normally do much better on ships than in on land casinos,

What do you play?

According to the terms and conditions, Excluded should mean that you can't get it at all unless you pay full price. The relevant information from the Terms & Condition is: If you look at the photos BirdTravels posted above, anything on my list that has a $16.95 price is Super Premium and would be excluded. Also, anything labeled "Ask" is Ultra Premium and also excluded. If I'm reading that wrong, I'm sure someone will let me know. The "pay extra" thing would be more for something like the Espresso Martini at $17.95. In that case you'd pay the $2.95 overage plus 18% service or $3.48

I sailed the Epic in March. I payed a $1.95 plus tip upcharge for Woodford Reserve. It worked the same way for premium martini's. If you enjoy booze the "free" UBP is a heck of a deal.