Vortech

The pre-cruise selection I got last week for the Escape had the same list as that, except the down pillow option. But, perhaps the more important point is that the pre-cruise concierge should be sending you a list of options for you to select.

Thank you both for the Perspective.

The longer tour goes straight to White bay, not the dock/harbor area i see on a map. I don't know what the opportunities for a tour are starting at White Bay.

I copied this off the forum at some point but failed to capture the name of who made it. if someone can provide attribution, please do.

Suite categories are designated by the letter “H” (Haven suites) or letter “S” (Non-Haven suites). Stateroom categories not beginning with the letters H or S do not receive perks.

 

Some ships have S categories only: Sky, Spirit, Sun, Dawn, Star, and Pride of America

Some ships have S & H categories: Jewel, Pearl, Gem and Jade

Some ships have H categories only: Epic, Breakaway, Getaway, Escape & Bliss

 

• Haven suites have access to the Haven regardless of where they are situated on the ship. The Haven has its own pool, hot tub, sauna, and sundeck. Some have their own restaurant and bar within the Haven complex. Some Havens also have a retractable roof over the central area. Haven configuration varies based on ship class/generation

 

• All suites have complimentary access to a private restaurant for breakfast and lunch. On “Haven Only” ships Haven Suites have a private restaurant for all three meals.

 

• All suites have Butler and Concierge service.

The Concierge can assist with dining reservations, shore excursion booking and guidance in

many other areas. He or she also provides delivery of invitations and information to the suite, and

performs all escorts on and off the ship.

The Butler provides delivery of daily amenities, meals en suite, replenishes coffee and other

supplies, and oversees the maintenance of the suite. Gratuity should be based upon services

provided.

 

• All suites receive invitations to a special cocktail reception with the Captain and other Officers.

 

• All suites receive priority embarkation {including express through check-in, as well as a private lounge with various amenities to enjoy while awaiting escort aboard} and disembarkation {which includes a private area to gather, and escort off the ship & directly to the VIP Luggage area and Porter Services}, as well as priority tendering.

 

• All suites receive one bottle of Sparkling Wine, one large bottle of water, a bowl of fresh fruit (replenished upon consumption) and a fresh flower arrangement in their suite. (Note: Garden Villas, Deluxe Owner's Suites and Owner's Suites receive Champagne instead of Sparkling Wine)

 

• Garden Villa's receive 6 bottles of alcohol with unlimited mixers, soda and water, while Deluxe Owner's Suites and Owner's Suites each receive 3 bottles of alcohol with unlimited mixers, soda and water. All other categories do not receive complimentary liquor.

 

• All suites are provided with a variety of Elemis brand toiletries.

 

• All suites are equipped with a Coffee/Cappuccino/Espresso Machine (Most are Lavazza pod-style machines), however the Sun has Lavazza machines in the Owner’s Suites, but drip-style coffee brewers in all other suites (because these suites cannot accommodate Lavazza devices).

 

• All suites have access to the Pre-Cruise Concierge service, which helps to coordinate your individual selections on pillow types, coffee and tea preferences, and a variety of special requests. Phone number for this service is 855-625-4283.

 

• All suites (except the SG and SJ suites on Deck 12 of the Star and some suites on the Sun) have a portable phone, which can be used throughout the ship.

 

• All suites are equipped with the "Bliss Bed" which truly lives up to its name, fitted with upgraded bedding. Also provided with upgraded bathrobes, as well as slippers.

 

• All suites have an expanded Room Service menu. Essentially, order whatever you want, and if it is available on the ship you will have it.

 

• Some suites have access to a reserved section of the theater on some ships, based upon stateroom category, as well as other factors, which can vary from sailing to sailing.

 

Disclaimer: Perks are subject to change at any time without notice. This list is intended to offer a general guide only, and should not be considered as “official” in any way, shape or form. This document is constructed from personal experience and the experience of others, and is a collaboration of input from many helpful members of Cruise Critic. Many thanks to all who have contributed to the development, and continual updating of the information contained herein.

 

Comments and additional information regarding the information in this list is welcome and always much appreciated! Without the continual input from other members, it is impossible to keep this list current and accurate.

I'd like to go to Jost Van dye, but not for the 5 hours that the Ship's excursion has planned. I just can't imagine enjoying being at a beach alone for that long.

The ship has another excursion that visits for a more compatible 1-2 hours, but costs much more and includes some language in the description about the power boat getting you wet and saddle seating that does not seem comfortable or great for my camera equipment (taking pictures is a big part of the appeal, and another reason I don't think I would enjoy being at the beach so long as I would have nobody to watch it while I swam or whatever.)

Anyway, I was wondering if folks more familiar with the islands had ideas about alternate solutions. I assume private charters are either priced for big groups or opulent luxury, but maybe not? Is it possible to take water taxis, and if they exist how hard is it? Other ideas I'm not even thinking about?

You can book most big shows at the same part of the site you book dining. Book the shows first and then you'll be all set.

Anoop was one of the best things About our cruise on the Pearl in 2012. We keep vaguely hoping he will transfer to the Escape before our cruise this year. I can't say I was ever aware of not being bubbly enough, but I guess I have always judged friendliness far more by what you do than how you speak. He worked his tail off to improve our vacation and remembered everything relevant and took initiative. Even things that were not something we expected to happen he made happen. Only thing I could say is that almost every time he would say ”I'll try" instead of "I will", but then he always came through. I'm fine with someone not promising something until they know they can deliver. Better than the opposite.

Now that I'm thinking about it I think being bubbly sounds kinda unprofessional or disingenuous. Different strokes for different folks I guess.

Enjoyed this thread a lot. Thanks for taking the effort to make it happen and sticking with it.

There are absolutely cocktails that will mask the taste more than others. My general rule is that the more sugar it had the less j will taste the quality of the liquor but there are exceptions to the rule and each person had different taste buds and nose so YMMV.

Don't dumb down your mixed drink for no reason, though. The UBP is a great opportunity to learn what you like. Make the bartender your ally in the mission and tip accordingly.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nope, don't know why. However, one thing I do know.....

 

Florida will be making out on this change. State tax for every drink while in Miami and if they're no longer sailing at 4 but instead now at 7 p.m. - that gives Florida 3 more hours to get everyone's tax money on the drinks they'll be consuming during those extra 3 hours! That's going to really add up, I'm sure.

 

Harriet

I'm sure it won't be anywhere near as much as they loose on the Room (hotel) taxes for people who no longer need to fly in the day before to feel sure of making it on board in time. Those Hotel Taxes are where FL makes a lot of it's revenue.

Here you go. 30 dollars. Monster MP OTG400 BK Outlets To Go Power Strip - 4 AC Outlets - Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000F9YN2M/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_6.xqwbV2DNE75

(Same thing mostly, the 70 dollar one was a prior version with a USB port instead of an outlet).

I have had the one with a USB port for 5+ years. It really is handy, though 5 years later I wish it had more USB ports. I also travel around with an anker 4 USB port travel adapter and probably think it is more useful these days and smaller to boot.

Anker 36W 4-Port USB Wall Charger Travel Adapter with PowerIQ Technology for iPhone 6s / 6 / 6 plus, iPad, Samsung Galaxy S6 / S6 Edge / Edge+, Note 5, Nexus, HTC M9, Motorola, LG and More (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L40YJ8O/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_mfyqwbDH53WK6

Anyone have any info on Carnival's Fish n Chips? What kind of fish? I'm from Alaska and have wild sockeye salmon and halibut in the freezer at all times, so I'm a bit of snob. I'll eat Cod, but not Pollock.

And you make fish and chips with those? Never tried those fish fried at all, actually.

I've never aligned with the reverence for lobster either on land or sea (the taste is already pretty mild/bland but then the new fad is to cover it in béchamel and pasta? Can you even taste it anymore?), but I do understand that it's a hallmark of luxury. It's a classic story of a Cruise experience - one of the few that still mostly holds true. The midnight Buffets and Flaming Baked Alaska are much harder to find these days from what I can tell.

The thing that I do find interesting is that so many people complain about how small the tail is or rave about how big the tail they got was. Growing up coastal it was always firmly understood that as the bugs got bigger the flavor diminished. It was considered much better to get a few smaller lobsters worth than one big one. Not only does this have better flavor and more likely a more consistent cooking, but it also shows that they put FAR more effort into the meal as dealing with the shelling is labor intensive. (and yes, as posted upthread the tail is usually lesser meat than the other areas but it's easier to extract).

As long as it makes people happy, though. While they eat lobster at the fish shack I'm happy about my hush puppies and that's basically just an accident of knocking your cornmeal breading into the frier.

If you can find a bar that's making the Mai Tai properly they should have Orgeat. Play around with that and fresh fruit juices. You can make a bunch of things that will taste creative and vacation-y without the booze. Also you can make some good simple refreshing flavors from Virgin Mojito as a base.

LOL. My favorite slide in the listicle is where they advise you not to drink milk because Raw Milk can be dangerous.

I need to try REALLY hard to even find Raw milk on land; you can knock me over with a feather if they have a drop of unpasteurized milk on the ship.

I was surprised to see the cornets gone from the le Bistro menu. I thought that was one of their signature items.

Outdoor Garden Café seating?

Labeled as manhattan room

From freestylenovice

Internet Café

Posting some of the Instagrams of public places by the thread members I have not seen re-posted or covered by earlier pics:

From keith_jenner:

5:00 somewhere bar inside

One of the kid's clubs?

There has been some ongoing ambiguity about rock climbing/repelling wall. I'm not aware of any photos that show these areas (and in fact I have seen some that are from the expected area of the ship without the wall there) but it's also listed as an activity in materials, so…

Also, anyone know why you can't reserve Food Republic or Pincho Tapas Bar.

I don't think those locations will offer reservations. They seem to be going for a more casual bar/quick meal/seat yourself unplanned style.

Actually, if you have the UDP or SDP, you only pay the $15 upcharge. I think that the UDP used to get 25% off but that changed on October 1 and now it is only the $15 upcharge.

OK. I'm going by this: http://www.ncl.com/udp/faq

Keeping this discussion focused on Escape, I think that the SDP is not a great deal especially if you are planning on going to the Supper club and Bayamo. However, there is a significant saving for those who are planning on visiting Cagney's, Le Bistro and Teppanyaki as you pointed out.

 

Finally, keep in mind that NCL is not really trying to save you money with the SDP, but trying to find a happy compromise between those who enjoy the UDP (no longer available) and those who only want to enjoy a couple of speciality dinners. We only eat in speciality restaurants because we like the service and consider that the quality of the food is better than in the MDR. However, once we complete our three upcoming cruises (all with UDP), we will need to evaluate our choices considering that the UDP will no longer be offered. If the SDP is offered as a booking perk for booking a suite, then we will take it, and either enjoy some nights at the MDR or allocate more funds to paying for speciality restaurants out of pocket.

I hadn't really been looking at the numbers because we got the UDP free with the booking, but there's a LOT of stuff on the Escape (and increasingly on the other ships) that does not work well with the UDP/SDP. If we were paying for the UDP/SDP I'd feel kind of ripped off by eating at the Tapas Bar and Food Republic and tobacco road, and The Supper club, the Haven Restaurant, and ESPECIALLY the Chef's Table —*which does not even have a UDP discount. Not to mention the fact that we didn't enjoy or want to eat at some of the specialties in the past.

I think I kind of like being able to choose a shorter than all-days number of restaurants and just see a little benefit from pre-paying. Actually, I had been thinking I'd pick UDP over UBP if I had to choose, but on the BA+ or BA ships, I think I'd reverse that.

The larger the ring, the more trouble it will give you with jamming. My rule is that I stop if I feel ANY resistance. Use the lightest possible force when adding or removing and you should be fine. If it feels harder than a light breeze through gossamer, take it off and start again. Be prepared to try multiple times to get the threading aligned right when putting it on.

Is Bayamo included in dinner packages ...I am not ready to spend another 50$ on dinner but if included well of course I will try it

I like Caneysand Modernos ...was not crazy about Tepanyaki or Cucina or Bistro

Could I go back to same restaurant if not ..i have 5 meals

Bayamo is not included in the ultimate dining package or the specialty dining package. UDP gets 25% off. SDP can be used and will require a 15$ upcharge.

You can repeat restaurants on the dining plans.

If you must reference an image, perhaps changing the image to a link instead is best. (example above) That way people who want to look at the image for reference can click the link, but it doesn't add another copy of the image to the post every time it's quoted. Just a suggestion. I generally don't think it's a big deal on cc to have images in the quotes, but on threads like this where there are so many images, and so many comments about them, a few simple techniques can keep the thread a lot more tidy.

That's a lot of work that probably does not need to be done. Each time you quote a post it contains a link back to the full post.

Can I ask where you saw it might hit Bermuda? My daughter is there now.

Unlikely to be more than rain and strong winds (nothing particularly dangerous) in Bermuda. But, like everyone has said, it's still early to predict reliably.