Seasoned Cruiser - first time with NCL

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

We have taken the plunge.

 

After a friend of ours booked the Epic, it caused me to have a closer look at a ship which I initially just raised my eyebrows at (initial surprise of the exterior). After seeing the layout of the ship, and the design of the cabins, we booked the same sailing as he did: 2/26/11

 

My main reason for posting this was to try to get a true feel for the dress code, or lack thereof, on NCL. We are used to dressing sharp all evenings, and I wear a tux on formal night. I take it, from the little I have read and heard thus far, that I can leave the tux at home. I just want to make sure that we fit in properly with the vast majority of people with regard to dressing for dinner.

 

Any other general hints/tips for someone who is not familiar with the "NCL way"? :)

 

THANKS!!

 

Tom

[pengu1n]

In general, people on NCL won't notice what you're wearing. Wear what makes you happy and/or comfortable. There will be people in tuxes, probably not many, and women in formal dresses and there will be a majority of people not dressed up. If you want to wear jeans on 'dress up or not' night, that will be fine. If you dress up, you'll look good, can go get some pictures taken (to prove when you get home that you clean up good!:D) and you can go to the show or go back to your cabin & put on shorts.

 

We dressed up on the first 'dress up or not' night & intended to on the second, but that night came and went and we never noticed. Obviously, we didn't dress up nor were there enough people dressed up to clue us in.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

In general, people on NCL won't notice what you're wearing. Wear what makes you happy and/or comfortable. There will be people in tuxes, probably not many, and women in formal dresses and there will be a majority of people not dressed up. If you want to wear jeans on 'dress up or not' night, that will be fine. If you dress up, you'll look good, can go get some pictures taken (to prove when you get home that you clean up good!:D) and you can go to the show or go back to your cabin & put on shorts.

 

We dressed up on the first 'dress up or not' night & intended to on the second, but that night came and went and we never noticed. Obviously, we didn't dress up nor were there enough people dressed up to clue us in.

 

Thanks. I assume the "dress up or not" night refers to "formal night"? I was told when we booked that there will be 1 formal night for our cruise, but that only applies to one (main?) dining area.

 

Tom

[terrymtex01]

OP.. It is true that NCL has a lax dress code, if you will, but that is part of what makes it the cruiseline that it is. Some people enjoy it, some wish it wasn't as lax. I am one that honestly couldn't careless what people are wearing just as long as it is clean and odor free and everything that should be covered up is covered up.. LOL

 

 

My partner and I usually always wear dockers and polo's for dinner and we have never felt over dressed or under dressed. We are just having a good time being ourselves. I would have no problem having dinner with folks in tshirts and jeans or in a tux, as long as they were interesting people to chat with.. So that's what I always notice more than what they are wearing.. 8-)

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

OP.. It is true that NCL has a lax dress code, if you will, but that is part of what makes it the cruiseline that it is. Some people enjoy it, some wish it wasn't as lax. I am one that honestly couldn't careless what people are wearing just as long as it is clean and odor free and everything that should be covered up is covered up.. LOL

 

 

My partner and I usually always wear dockers and polo's for dinner and we have never felt over dressed or under dressed. We are just having a good time being ourselves. I would have no problem having dinner with folks in tshirts and jeans or in a tux, as long as they were interesting people to chat with.. So that's what I always notice more than what they are wearing.. 8-)

 

Thanks

[FLAHAM]

Tom, in my experience on NCL, dress in the main dining rooms and specialty dining rooms varies from smart to dreadful on the same evening (including "dress up or not" evenings. If the dress of others doesn't bother you, that's great. If it does, you may be unhappy.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Tom, in my experience on NCL, dress in the main dining rooms and specialty dining rooms varies from smart to dreadful on the same evening (including "dress up or not" evenings. If the dress of others doesn't bother you, that's great. If it does, you may be unhappy.

 

It won't! ... and since ours won't bother (most) others, then all is good! :cool:

 

Tom

[flashdog_1]

In case you were getting the impression that there are lots of people dressing in the same clothing they wore on a rough excursion during the day, that's a negative.

 

I think the vast majority of people after an excursion or just lying around the pool will clean up for dinner and put on different, clean clothing, even if those clothes are not what some might call dress up clothes.

 

That said, people really do not stand out as under dressing or overdressing on NCL, as Terry said, as long as they're clean.

[amistad]

Tom, I have read many of your posts on the Carnival board in the past when I am planning on CCL and really I don't think you will see that much difference on NCL. Please do eat at some or all of the specialty restaurants, they are a real plus on NCL in my opinion. The specialty restaurants don't require dressing up, but it is much more intimate, better service, good food, and some people do dress up when eating there. The last Carnival cruise we went on was in August and the last NCL cruise we went on was this March and I really did not see that much difference in the dress code except NCL doesn't allow shorts in the MDR and Carnival does. Go and enjoy. Did you book a suite? If so you will really enjoy the way they treat you on NCL compared to Carnival, they have more perks and the butler will spoil you if you want him to. On Carnival we were in a Category 12 penthouse and on NCL we were in an AC suite, Carnival's suite was much larger, but eating in Cagney's for breakfast and the Butler bringing treats everyday was nice.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Tom, I have read many of your posts on the Carnival board in the past when I am planning on CCL and really I don't think you will see that much difference on NCL. Please do eat at some or all of the specialty restaurants, they are a real plus on NCL in my opinion. The specialty restaurants don't require dressing up, but it is much more intimate, better service, good food, and some people do dress up when eating there. The last Carnival cruise we went on was in August and the last NCL cruise we went on was this March and I really did not see that much difference in the dress code except NCL doesn't allow shorts in the MDR and Carnival does. Go and enjoy. Did you book a suite? If so you will really enjoy the way they treat you on NCL compared to Carnival, they have more perks and the butler will spoil you if you want him to. On Carnival we were in a Category 12 penthouse and on NCL we were in an AC suite, Carnival's suite was much larger, but eating in Cagney's for breakfast and the Butler bringing treats everyday was nice.

 

Thanks!

 

I was tempted to book a suite - we were looking at an aft AC cabin... however they wanted $4,400 for the week (for the two of us), vs. the $2,400 for the balcony we decided on. From the deck plans, at least the balcony appears to be close to twice the standard size of 65 Sq.ft. -- which makes it larger than the AC balcony. Time will tell, as nobody has been in one to take pictures or measure it!! Granted, the room (at 151 Sq.ft.) will be cramped, but with the balcony as an escape hopefully that will suffice. As long as there is ample space to put away our "stuff" - and I assume suitcases can slip under the bed.

 

BTW - we are paying about $2,400 for two different sailings on (Carnival) Spirit class ships in our favorite suite - #4228 !!

 

We are all about specialty dining, so this should work out well!

 

Tom

[Zukeeper4]

It's Tom!!!! Hi ya Tom!!! Feel like I almost know you from your Carnival Aft posts!! Am an avid "aft" cruiser due to your cabin photo's on CC!

 

Tom, I noticed people dress however they feel like dressing on NCL, but overall they dress smart casual. And similar to Carnival.

 

On Formal Night...There are those that dress up in formals, cocktail dresses and occasional tuxes but not as much as Carnival formal night. Most men wear a collared button front shirt and tie, and some (the 30 and up crowd) a sport coat.

 

There are those that dress like they are going to "church" and those that don't dress up at all. It's a mix and varies from eating venue to venue. I have done Le Bistro on formal night and Cagney's on formal night. People were dressed the same as the main dining room!

 

I would say that on "formal, not so formal night" the main dining room has more that are dressed "nicely" even if that means "formal jeans" than very casual.

 

All in all, no one seems to care either way...it's all about having a great time whenever you want...and you will LOVE all the specialty restaurants! Plan on visiting each of them at least once!

 

For sure go to the Meet & Greet, you will be amazed at how well NCL does the Meet & Greet, sign up for the "dinner with an officer> as well, the people fromt he Meet & Greet nearly always get "picked" and it's amazing!

 

Happy cruisin'

Jan

[coka]

It won't! ... and since ours won't bother (most) others, then all is good! :cool:

 

Tom

 

That is right attitude! The best part is you can dress up or not. Knowing that ahead of time and that 2,000 or so others onboard will making their own decisions too then nobody is really out of place. They have photo opportunities just about every night onboard. So even if you dress up on any night, you can still have your photos done.

Have a great cruise!

 

coka

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

It's Tom!!!! Hi ya Tom!!! Feel like I almost know you from your Carnival Aft posts!! Am an avid "aft" cruiser due to your cabin photo's on CC!

 

Tom, I noticed people dress however they feel like dressing on NCL, but overall they dress smart casual. And similar to Carnival.

 

On Formal Night...There are those that dress up in formals, cocktail dresses and occasional tuxes but not as much as Carnival formal night. Most men wear a collared button front shirt and tie, and some (the 30 and up crowd) a sport coat.

 

There are those that dress like they are going to "church" and those that don't dress up at all. It's a mix and varies from eating venue to venue. I have done Le Bistro on formal night and Cagney's on formal night. People were dressed the same as the main dining room!

 

I would say that on "formal, not so formal night" the main dining room has more that are dressed "nicely" even if that means "formal jeans" than very casual.

 

All in all, no one seems to care either way...it's all about having a great time whenever you want...and you will LOVE all the specialty restaurants! Plan on visiting each of them at least once!

 

For sure go to the Meet & Greet, you will be amazed at how well NCL does the Meet & Greet, sign up for the "dinner with an officer> as well, the people fromt he Meet & Greet nearly always get "picked" and it's amazing!

 

Happy cruisin'

Jan

 

All this definitely helps to put me at ease!

 

--- so tell me, I see that you are on the Miracle next January. Did you snag #4228 or #4237 ?? :)

 

That is right attitude! The best part is you can dress up or not. Knowing that ahead of time and that 2,000 or so others onboard will making their own decisions too then nobody is really out of place. They have photo opportunities just about every night onboard. So even if you dress up on any night, you can still have your photos done.

Have a great cruise!

 

coka

 

LOL - we are about "photoed out" as far as ship's photographers. We WAY overbought early in our cruising career, and have a box of them around here somewhere! :eek:

 

Tom

[amistad]

Tom, I can't remember from your Carnival posts if you are a casino lover or not, but NCL does have a really good program (CAS). If you are an avid player be sure to sign up, we sailed on our last cruise with NCL thru the casino program, they offer good comps. We've done some slots cruises thru CCL that are nice, but NCL is a little better.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Tom, I can't remember from your Carnival posts if you are a casino lover or not, but NCL does have a really good program (CAS). If you are an avid player be sure to sign up, we sailed on our last cruise with NCL thru the casino program, they offer good comps. We've done some slots cruises thru CCL that are nice, but NCL is a little better.

 

The casino is one of the main reasons for cruising, as far as I am concerned!

 

Celebrity treats me very well - I took the 10 night Constellation (over Thanksgiving 2008) as a freebie, and that was after just ONE 4 night cruise on the Century! (or perhaps that should be: :eek:). The Solstice cruise we have in May is the same deal. It is hard to turn down a bargain like that! I only play blackjack - green to black chips, so that helps!

 

Carnival, even after ALL the cruises and a lot of $ played in the casino, has been slow to come around. This year I received 3 free cruise offers in suites, though none of them work into my schedule. Celebrity sent me a list of a dozen, so finding one to fit was much easier! :)

 

I will definitely sign up on day one - and if they are forthcoming with perks/benefits, then a return to NCL (assuming nothing major negative occurs) would be very likely!

 

Tom

[amistad]

That's what I thought, just couldn't remember. NCL's casino is run or owned by Harrah's if I understand correctly and they do comp cruises, we had to pay tax, but I have read that some even get that comped. The CCL Players Club offers I get are usually only about 60 day's or less out and I usually need more time to plan on being gone, at least with NCL you can just call them and tell them which sailing you are interested in and they will let you know what you qualify for, you don't have to wait for an offer from them. Don't get me wrong I enjoy CCL, but I do think you will like the CAS program.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

That's what I thought, just couldn't remember. NCL's casino is run or owned by Harrah's if I understand correctly and they do comp cruises, we had to pay tax, but I have read that some even get that comped. The CCL Players Club offers I get are usually only about 60 day's or less out and I usually need more time to plan on being gone, at least with NCL you can just call them and tell them which sailing you are interested in and they will let you know what you qualify for, you don't have to wait for an offer from them. Don't get me wrong I enjoy CCL, but I do think you will like the CAS program.

 

Thanks for the insight - perhaps I can "do business" with them!! :cool:

 

Does their offer typically give you a dollar amount "off" whatever cabin you would like - or do they have a particular cabin type they place players in?

 

Tom

 

Tom

[Rochesterboatingdotcom]

Tom

 

They will comp you any room from inside to suite based on your play. You can upgrade to a higher room by paying the difference. We just started sailing NCL last October and have already got 2 comped cruises. Another nice thing about booking through the CAS is that you will have your players cards and drink-for-free-in-the-casino cards waiting in your cabin when you arrive.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Tom

 

They will comp you any room from inside to suite based on your play. You can upgrade to a higher room by paying the difference. We just started sailing NCL last October and have already got 2 comped cruises. Another nice thing about booking through the CAS is that you will have your players cards and drink-for-free-in-the-casino cards waiting in your cabin when you arrive.

 

More good info - the "drink-for-free-in-the-casino" card is a good perk. I don't drink a "large" amount, but I feel that while playing at certain levels and above I shouldn't have to actually ASK for them to cover my drinks!

 

Tom

[amistad]

Tom and Cheryl, I think you will enjoy your new experience, NCL isn't nearly as dressy as Celebrity, but boy is it nice to be able to take a nap after a busy day on shore, then eat at a specialty restaurant and hit the casino or take in a show and then hit the casino. It really is a relaxing way to cruise. I love Celebrity and Carnival too, but it is nice to have something different to look forward to and research. I wish I could take all of the things I love about CCL, HAL, X, NCL, Princess, and RCI and put them all on one line to make my dream cruise line up, but instead I will just take variety one at a time.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Tom and Cheryl, I think you will enjoy your new experience, NCL isn't nearly as dressy as Celebrity, but boy is it nice to be able to take a nap after a busy day on shore, then eat at a specialty restaurant and hit the casino or take in a show and then hit the casino. It really is a relaxing way to cruise. I love Celebrity and Carnival too, but it is nice to have something different to look forward to and research. I wish I could take all of the things I love about CCL, HAL, X, NCL, Princess, and RCI and put them all on one line to make my dream cruise line up, but instead I will just take variety one at a time.

 

Really looking forward to it!!

 

I wonder if I spoke with someone at CAS and faxed some win/loss statements from Carnival and MGM, if they might be able to work some magic before I even set foot on the Epic? On Carnival I am usually the only regular at the $25 table - though many spend a few minutes there. I play anywhere from a couple hours/day, up to several (sea days). That adds up to big swings up and down!!

 

Tom

[Zukeeper4]

All this definitely helps to put me at ease!

 

--- so tell me, I see that you are on the Miracle next January. Did you snag #4228 or #4237 ?? :)

 

Tom

 

We had the coveted aft corner on our first Miracle cruise back in 2006 and LOVED it!!!

 

This time I'm traveling with a bunch of nurse girlfriends so we have the entire aft deck 7 reserved!!! Should be a hoot...if we can get them to open those dividers up it will be even more fun....heard they've been reluctant to do so lately, so we will see!

 

Enjoy your cruise....my husband likes the casino wherever we cruise too! Me, I do the sunshine :cool: and spa :D while he gambles...we meet up later....works for us. Does Cheryl sit in there and gamble with you too??

 

Jan

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

We had the coveted aft corner on our first Miracle cruise back in 2006 and LOVED it!!!

 

This time I'm traveling with a bunch of nurse girlfriends so we have the entire aft deck 7 reserved!!! Should be a hoot...if we can get them to open those dividers up it will be even more fun....heard they've been reluctant to do so lately, so we will see!

 

Enjoy your cruise....my husband likes the casino wherever we cruise too! Me, I do the sunshine :cool: and spa :D while he gambles...we meet up later....works for us. Does Cheryl sit in there and gamble with you too??

 

Jan

 

Cheryl mostly sits and watches (assuming she is not in the spa or reading a book on our balcony) - she is my "good luck" charm! :)

 

Have a GREAT time!

 

Tom

[Rochesterboatingdotcom]

Really looking forward to it!!

 

I wonder if I spoke with someone at CAS and faxed some win/loss statements from Carnival and MGM, if they might be able to work some magic before I even set foot on the Epic?

 

Kind of doubt it, but you never know! They may at least give you the 17% discount, and if nothing else, booking through the CAS will get you free drinks and some other little comps such as cookies, a bottle of wine, and maybe a free dinner in one of the restaurants.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Kind of doubt it, but you never know! They may at least give you the 17% discount, and if nothing else, booking through the CAS will get you free drinks and some other little comps such as cookies, a bottle of wine, and maybe a free dinner in one of the restaurants.

 

Thanks! ... all that they can do (at worst) is say "no"! :)

 

Tom