mushroom

I'll be celebrating my 80th birthday on my next cruise aboard Divina. I have navagated life so far and am not going to spoil the remainder by living in "fear of what if". I've had the shots...will have the booster when available...will be tested three days ahead...will mask up when asked...and will continue to enjoy cruising!!!

I'm pushing 80 and travel often with two middle aged daughters.  We booked the owners suite on the SKY for a Bahamas vacation a couple of years ago and it solved all of our issues.  The Sky's OS has a king bed and bathroom which is separate from a very large living room (which has a pull-down Murphy style double bed along with a sofa bed) and a half-bath.  The OS experience allows you to bypass lines at embarkation, disembarking, meals, shows, etc.  The balcony has plenty of space for four people.  You might want to think about this rather than than paying for two separate rooms.  When we went, the rates for third and fourth person in a cabin were quite reasonable.

I've enjoyed several Uniworld cruises as a single. In April, I hope to sail with Tauck as a single.  Tauck offers the "no single suppliment" only on the lowest category, however.  With Uniworld, I was able to choose whatever category I wanted.  I know I will enjoy the Tauck experience as I have done many "land based" trips with them in the past.  I'm not so sure that I'll like aquarium class.  Right now...I'm just hoping I get the chance to find out!

Thanks for this link. It gives me hope!

This made my day! Such fun to read positive experiences in the midst of all that's not.  You sound like someone I would want to meet on my next cruise.  Thanks for posting!

Thank you so much for posting your review.  We have booked the owners suite on deck 9 for an October cruise. It's much like yours, but the balcony is slightly smaller.  Needless to say, we follow CruiseCritic regularly and are hoping for a return to normal sailings by Fall.  We were on this same cruise this past September and had Efron. Agree with you - he's topnotch. I'm so glad you were able to go and enjoy the Sky!  She's one of our favorites.

Disappointed, but thank you both for replies.

Can balcony dividers be opened to connect with adjacent cabins on Pursuit?

We used the free air from CLT to MIA last Fall and were given nonstop flights on AA.  Our flight left CLT around 9:30am  and the return flight left MIA around 1:00pm. If I'd been paying for tickets, these are the exact flights I would have chosen.  I was very pleased.

I'm planning a family reunion for 2021 and want to explore options on the Sky for October of 2021. I cannot find any mention of this ship sailing at that time. Has anyone heard what is being planned for the Sky? ( I've specifically chosen the Sky for the Owners Suite/Penthouse arrangement so I'm not really interested in another ship.)

I had the same situation and went ahead and purchased my own package. They were offering something called Caps and Corks which allows me to enjoy beer and wine but no mixed drinks. That's ok because it's mainly the wine I'm after.  If I decide to get a mojito I can just pay for it. To me, it's just not worth the worry of having to depend on someone else to get my drinks on their card. Also, passengers 1 and 2 would NEVER forgive me if I caused them to lose their perks.  

We had suite 9001 and can definitely assure you that you will be spoiled forever!!!  Be sure to take advantage of breakfast in Cagneys. It's such a peaceful and elegant way to start your day.  Also, you will want to have your butler serve dinner in your suite a night or two.  The priority boarding in Miami was very, very nice.  Instead of waiting in a long line, you are escorted to a private area with some snacks and drinks and have a very personalized check in.  Yes...it might be a splurge, but it's also an experience you will forever remember...long after you have forgotten the actual cost. Enjoy!!!

There were three of us. The single passenger had a choice of a murphy bed (double) close to the shutters to the bedroom or a sofa bed along the opposite wall which could be a single or double.  By using the sofa as a single we were able to get the most "space" between the passengers. The sounds of the airconditioning, along with the normal sounds associated with being on the bow of the ship, created our "white noise". It worked out quite well. 

Thanks everyone for your welcome advice. It looks like the idea of buying a Yeti and making my own drinks in the suite is the way I'll go.  It really does not make sense to have to upgrade the two "free" packages...and I can simply purchase a beer or two on the pool deck when I want it.  Maybe between now and when we cruise, NCL will rethink the way they handle 3rd and 4th passengers in a suite.  Our particular suite advertises it can hold up to 5 people. Imagine how awful this could be if all 5 people wanted a drink package!  It would be more cost effective to simply book two or three more cabins. Again, thanks for all of your input.  

….Our beverage package only extends to passengers 1 and 2. How do I go about getting a beverage package for myself? Ideally I would like to get the premium package whereas the other two passengers are happy with the promo beverage package.  We are actually booked into an owners suite so I'm sure I will not die of thirst, but I would appreciate the opportunity to enjoy adult beverages out on deck as well.  I apologize if this has been covered in previous forums...but I could not find a direct answer.  Thanks.

We board the Sky in two days. Am anxious to see how the new beverage policy is working out. We sailed last year on one of the Cuba itineraries and really love this ship. Thanks for your review!

I'm reading that Nassau is a hub for assistance to the outer islands who suffered such devastation in the hurricane. We are on the Sept. 19th sailing of the Sky and had actually planned to spend the day  relaxing onboard - as we have also just come from being in the same storm. However, if there are organizations in Nassau who would welcome extra hands to help out for one day, we would gladly pack some "work clothes" and volunteer to assist in any way we can. Does anyone know if help is being sought by aid organizations?

We received an email from American Airlines with our flight itinerary. It has not yet shown up on the NCL schedule, however.  Also, NCL has not ticketed the reservation so we are not yet able to get seat assignments.  It's nice to have the schedule and record locator number and we are very pleased with the schedule we were assigned.  

Just today, I received confirmation that all three of us in our cabin will have the open bar on our September 19th sailing of the Sky. We booked back in March.

I was told that the confirmation of the drink package would not show up on my reservation until July 7 or 8.

My travel agent spoke with NCL today on my behalf regarding how the new policy will affect the third adult in the room. He assured her that NCL would not take away anything the client had already paid for.  I understand this to mean that the drink promo will be tweaked to include all adults in the stateroom and not just passengers 1 and 2. My cruise is not until mid September, so I'm hoping someone who travels before me can give me first hand reassurance that this will be the case.

How will this new policy impact the third person in a stateroom?

Guess somebody needs to tell the NCL Webmaster...the words "Free Open Bar" are all over it.

Good to know Daisy. I would have called room service had you not warned me. We're in an owners suite on the Sky later on this year and are looking forward to the suite as much as the cruise itself. Might not ever leave the room!

I'm really anxious to hear what kind of weather you have for the three days at sea. I know the water off of the Carolinas can be a problem sometimes. I'm wishing for smooth sailing for you all...as I have a couple of friends onboard who don't need the bad stuff. Thanks for keeping all of us in your loop!