gardiner41

https://www.ncl.com/getting-to-the-pier/transfers-and-car-services

 

 

I just called them $30pp one way and you will be first off the ship with flight information- notice the timeline for booking -PRESENTLY HE TOLD ME OBC IS NOT USEABLE

Hi Isii!

Fancy meeting you here :-)

Are you doing this cruise or have you already done it?

We are doing the Norwegian Fjords and Baltic Capitals B2B May 2016.

We figure if we are going all that way and paying so much for flights we will knock two that have been on our list for a few years off.

Just decided yesterday so at the very beginning stages of research..really just reading and getting an idea of what is out there.

 

 

Family Suite - SJ

 

Bring the whole gang because this suite sleeps up to six guests. It features a queen-size bed that converts to two lower beds, a sofa bed and additional bedding to sleep two more. Everyone can hang out in the living and dining area and there is a luxury bath with shower. Butler and concierge available. Accommodates: 4-6.

Deck: 12

 

Cabin Price

 

$1,299.00Cabin Price Details:

 

(2) Cruise Rate$1,299.00

Cruise TOTAL$2,598.00

 

 

Yes, I know this is not available for every ship or at any time. But I was very excited to see I could splurge on a suite for once in my life! I have 2 years to pay on it, so I did it.

We took advantage of this deal today as well 2 cabins family of 2 and a family of 4. Can't wait to sail with you guys and "the boys" again! Our Jewl cruise on this itinerary was my fav cruise so far....this will probably top it since one of my dearest friends is coming :-)

I managed to get it for 1,229 pp CAD plus taxes and port fees. :-)

Just looked up Michael Redden, good Nova Scotia musician. Hopefully he'll still be on board when we are there! Probably knows some good ole down east tunes.

 

Oh Glad to hear this...I am a Blue Noser myself. We are on the January 12th sailing. Would be nice to have some good down east, maritime music on board!

I've been trying for an hour....nothing is listed? I swear it was on there before Jan 17 and jan 31.

 

all I can find are the 2 day cruises.

 

is my computer wonky or is it NCL?

thanks

Hey Cuz.

Did you get it sorted out?

What did you decide on for your Dec cruise? Where and which ship?

We leave on Sunday for our Back to Back 21 day East and South Caribbean.

I have heard the MSC Divina (sp?) has had some excellent deals you may want to look into. for 2015 as well. Though they won't have all the water slides and everything for the kids.

I'm booked on the 1/31/2016 cruise and it hasn't been listed for weeks. I called Support this week to alert them but there's still a problem. No words can describe the constant glitches and poor way the NCL website works. Not being able to book and cancel and rearrange dining and entertainment reservations on your own is so frustrating. :(:p

Actually...you can book dining and entertainment on your own :)

Once you book your cruise, you go into NCL and creat an account. It will link your reservation to your account.

You click on your cruise and then once in there you will find all kinds of goodies!

Once you are 90 days out from your cruise you will have access to booking dinner reservations, entertainment/specialty shows party and celebration packages and more including excursions.

They tend to add more excursion once the cruise gets about 6 months or less out as their contracts are renewed or new ones signed.

So , next October you will find in your NCL account they will open up the ability to book dinner reservations in specialty restaurants and on some cruises the MDR's (main dining room)

You will also be able to reserve all of your evening entertainment and if you want to do any of the specialty entertainment.

Make sure you are watching for this as the most popular times tend to book up fast.

A little insider tip for you. Currently...it could change at any time...if you book the Cirque show for the first night it is half price :) IF that show interests you check to see if the price is different on embarkation day.

We are on the Breakaway the end of April for our annual anniversary cruise. We are doing the Bermuda trip.

Hope this info helps!

p.s when NCL is doing work on the back end of the site...like opening up reservations adding new cruises, new specials etc it will sometimes be glitch for an hour or so. Don't get frustrated, it means some great new stuff is coming up just try again a little later. :)

I can confirm Select sells out. We are sailing on January 12th and chose select dining when we booked. It is already "sold out" as in not being offered anymore. So no one on our cruise will be able to make the switch.

Yes we had to pre pay our grats. but we always do anyway so that was no problem for us and a small price to pay to get the seating flexibility we wanted.

This will be our first time sailing with X and I am really looking forward to it. We asked friends to join us who have sailed with them before and are sailing the 11 night Ultimate Caribbean. Everything is lining up to be an excellent cruise!

One thing not mentioned in any of the posts...check the luggage requirements.

MOST land tours have a maximum baggage allowance AND a max they will handle.

For example, we did a Tour of Ireland in July and we could have brought 2 checked bags each according to our airline however the Bus tour limit was one. Anything over that we would have had to handle ourselves.

So we opted to only go with one checked bag each plus our carry on and of course my big a@@ purse ;)

Since we have to fly almost anywhere, cruise or not, we go, we are used to baggage restrictions and have become pretty adept at packing only what we need, and packing light.

We have a 21 day cruise coming up in Dec and will only have 1 checked bag between us (we have to pay for checked baggage each direction) and each of us will have our carry on and personal item.

In January we have an 11 day cruise we have to fly to and will each only be bringing our carry on and a personal item ..aka big a@@ purse ;)

Yes some compromise has to be made, when packing light. So for us, we will not be bringing any "formal" clothes. so on Formal nights we will choose alternate dining other than the MDR (room service, buffet, pub etc)

By not packing any formal wear we save a LOT of baggage space.

Enjoy planning for your retirement! With a few small adjustments you will learn to pack lighter and enjoy all of the wonderful extended holidays you can now take.

Thank you for your insight. We are not smokers so that is not a issue for us. We generally eat in the specialty restaurants aboard NCL so we are used to getting dressed up for dinner so that will not be a problem for us either. In the evenings we like to grab a drink and play in the casino.

With this additional info...I would say X will suite you well! Enjoy!

We typically sail NCL as well.

Our first cruise was with Princess and we loved it as well.

We are doing the Ultimate Caribbean cruise with X in January. Essentially it is a Panama Canal cruise, but docs rather than transits the canal.

From all my research, and from first hand experience with friends who have sailed both and prefer X there are some major differences.

First and formost, Remember NCL is a mass market line and X is a premium line. So the demographic is different.

X is more formal, but not "super" formal like Cunard for example.

Typically there are 2 or more formal nights depending on the length of the cruise. I like dressing up my DH does not, so we have decided we will eat in one of the alternate venues on formal nights. Buffet or as one person told me, we can have our steward bring us a menu from the MDR and order room service off of it. Same great food, in our cabin, no dressing up.

So as with on NCL there are always lots of choices.

I think in your particular case...what is most important, is NCL does not do that itinerary. So it seems to me, if that is where you want to go, the destination is more important than the vessel to get you there.

Everything is about mindset. IF you go determined to enjoy exotic ports of call, and the X experience, you will. Remember not to do too much comparison, as it is apples and oranges. You know it will be a different onboard experience so go with a great attitude instead of looking for differences and comparisons and you will have a wonderful cruise.

Thank you everyone!

As with all discussions on all boards there is some "discussion" surround what is "acceptable" or "gotten away with"

I am a firm believer also in receiving and giving accurate information based on the cruise lines guidelines. What people do from there is up to them.

We always adhere to the posted code. IT is a simple thing to do, and shows respect to the ship and crew as well as other passengers, and ourselves.

I have read that Europe cruises tend to be more formal, and the Caribbean cruises a little less. There-in can lie the variation of experiences for those with limited cruise and cruise line experience.

Ours will be a Caribbean/South American, and I do have a very clear picture of what I will need to pack.

We loved the tip about ordering from the MDR menu using room service on formal nights, and will do that at least once during the 2 nights on our cruise.

Having a quiet dinner in our cabin with no distractions or interruptions

and focusing just on each other...is very appealing. As much as we enjoy meeting new people and socializing. Sometimes you just need couple time :-)

Jeans are ok as long as they are not ripped, torn or frayed. Most men choose to wear some sort of shirt with a collar (could be a Polo or Golf Shirt) matched up with a pair of pants (Dockers, Chinos and Dark Wash Denim Jeans are the most popular).

Cheers!

Perfect! That was what I understood when I read the dress code...but I got confused sometimes too many opinions can cause something simple to get muddled.

THIS is exactly how he usually dresses for dinner...so I will put the issue to rest. 2 Formal nights in alternate dining venues anywhere but MDR the rest dress as we typically do.

Thank you

The buffet is casual and you can wear shorts and a t-shirt there if you'd like. They have nice food at the buffet but not a huge selection at night.

The specialty restaurants are all "smart casual and above" every night. On formal nights there will be people in the specialty restaurants dressed both formally and smart casual so one wouldn't feel out of place dressed either way.

There is a dress code on the ship for the MDR. As is frequently reported here there are times when it is enforced, at least to the extend of a jacket for men and appropriate slacks and shirts, and times when it is not enforced and people dressed casually are allowed in. Unfortunately you won't know if this is the case in advance although you can ask your waiter or one of the managers on board if he will be allowed in without a jacket. The dress code in the MDR does not force anyone to dress that way but most dining there do out of respect for the policy and their fellow cruisers.

Thank you...so you are saying jackets for men every evening? This I was not aware of. Yikes! I guess we will have to bring one for him then. We will not disregard the dress code.

We enjoy MDR dining so he will grin and bear it...and take it off at the table. So he is comfortable and the dress code is enforced and everyone is happy.:)

As far as Dining Venues...

 

On Formal Night ONLY the MDR has the Formal Dress Code.

 

All other venues... Including The Blu DR (for Aqua Class Pax) and all Specialty Restaurants are Smart Casual (as they are every evening).

 

The Buffet is Casual... And Room Service is also available 24/7

 

And little known fact...

 

You can order Room Service from the MDR whenever the MDR is open... Just ask your Cabin Steward for a copy of the menu

 

Cheers!

Thank you!

Very helpful indeed!

I like that little tidbit about ordering MDR food!

BTW ...I had a smile on my face when I saw your profile name...and read your signature. I am technically too young to remember that song, but my mom loved it so I heard it often when I was little. It brought back a fond memory :)

As another celebrity first timer I find this thread very helpful...other than one unnecessary comment..but there is always one isn't there ;)

I have read and am quite clear on what is expected and we will adhere to it..but a "dress" means different things to different people...and as one helpful person pointed out it is simply a matter of not wanting to be over or under dressed, and another astutely pointed out, many of us fly and with restricted baggage allowance need to cut back on weight where we can...for us ladies shoes, accessories etc etc etc can really add up in the weight and bulk department.

With this in mind..my husband no longer desires to wear a suit or jacket and who am I or anyone else to force that on him? Personally I enjoy dressing up a little more, but we are all different in our comfort levels. It is his vacation as well as mine and we both need to be comfortable...so....on formal night what are our options since we will not be bringing formal wear (jacket)?

I assume the buffet will be open? Are there other venues open as well where the formal dress code is not in effect?

There is always room service if we get stuck :-)

Thank you for all constructive responses :)

Cave-tubing.

 

some folks like to head to Lamanai but its generally available only via private excursion and runs risk of missing ship on return).

).

Sorry this is just not true.

We went to LAmanai on an NCL excursion in January.

IT was excellent and the only ship excursions we have done in a long time.

This January we will be in Belize again. This time on a Celebrity ship. They also offer the Lamanai Tour.

Every one I know who has taken this tour has loved it.

It came highly recommended to us and we now recommend it to others.

I always bring my own tea wherever I go. I guess I am an Uber Tea snob as I only drink loose leaf tea (unless "visiting" so as not to be rude)

I have a tea travel mug that has a tea press so I can steep it.

I bring it with me to the dining room with my tea leaves already measured and ask my server to please fill it with hot water. It always sparks a great conversation as people smell the beautiful aroma of fresh tea leaves being brewd.

It's these simple pleasures that really make a day.

On another Tea note...we will be on our first Celebrity cruise in January. Is afternoon Tea served in the MDR?

I remember nachos, and they might have had hamburgers and hotdogs. The costs for the food was about $8 for a plate, and the beer was about $3-$4. Don't know prices for other drinks since did not get them. They had waiters that would bring you drinks and food.

Thank you. Sounds very reasonably priced.

I think I will plan to do this. Sounds like a nice quiet day. We have a number of very active long days planned for this cruise so this should be a nice change of pace.

Thank you!

Do you know what island NCL purchased and when it is supposed to be up and running? As we are on an October sailing on NCL that includes Belize and I am still trying to figure out what to do there. I would LOVE a nice stretch of beach with a bar, waiters and snacks....

 

We have already done the conventional excursions in Belize.....so any ideas would be appreciated!

It was a recent purchase and will not be ready for quite a while I can't remember if the press release said 2015 or 2016.

There are several beach excursions for Belize, if you check your NCL online account they are listed in your reservation.

Have you done the Lamanai Ruins and river safari Tour? If not I highly recommend it. We loved that tour. It is like 4 in one.

can you give more details on what this is. We will be in San Jun for the first time end of Feb

Thanks for posting a review of this.

We are thinking about booking it through Celebrity for our cruise in January.

I would like to snorkel since the last time we did Lamanai Ruins..which was excellent, but we want a more relaxed day for this one.

DH is a land lubber but enjoys napping on the beach while I swim and snorkel.

This may have to do I was hoping for good snorkeling off the beach, but it's not the end of the world.

Like everyone else..we normally do independent tours but in Belize do not want to deal with tenders etc.

NCL has bought an Island in Belize and will start having tours to it like with their private Island in Bahamas. Once that is open it will be a no brainer when sailing with them.

A quick question...do you remember what else was on the menu and apx costs (range of prices)

Thank you

We stopped at Water Caye after our snorkeling trip. It had an open air restaurant (covered) with a bar. Just a few food choices which were about $8, I think local beer (Belikin) was $4. Pretty little island, nothing special, but the ships dock miles and miles away from port because of the reef (second longest in the world) so the plus is that you are picked up for the trips right at the ship.

Thank you.

How long ago were you there?

Do you remember if the snorkeling was any good and if the bottom at the beach was sandy and clear . My DH will only goin in if it is very clear...he is a landlubber lol

We don't need anything super special or fancy. Just clean, safe and a good spot for me to snorkel from shore.

I have read a lot of complaints, so I am trying to figure out if it is people were expecting something different or if it really is not very good.

We were in Belize in January and did the Lamanai Ruins tour which was excellent. Normally we do private or independent tours but with the tender I want to just book something through the ship and not worry about it.

If you remember any details I would appreciate any extra info you have.

Thank you

Thank you...that must be it. The post says it has rece tly had sand I filling etc. I wonder how recent and when the person who replied here was there?

Sounds like it could be good...or not.

Thank you...I am looking for snorkeling and a each reak for dh.

Where in Ontario are you. We r Carleton Place. Near ottawa

Thank you. We r on equinox in January. If this is the same excursion it does not sound good.