NCL secrets they don't tell you about

[judyf]

No offense, but how about some useful tips? I'm not saying there havent been any (there have!) but this thread is turning into an "opinion" thread instead of the "information" thread that the OP started. JMHO :o

 

:confused: I, for one, would like to know of any "special" cabins? - bigger than the rest in that category? Obstructed but NOT really obstructed? (Please state the ship)

 

~Connie

 

 

Ditto.

 

I would like to know if there's any tips to getting around on the Star?

 

Any little secret spots we can sit in chairs and watch the sun set?

 

The CCL Inspiration had a great spot I read on the CCL board in the back of the ship pass the pizza place and it was great. I never would have found it if I didn't read it on CC. So I'm looking for something like that about the star.

 

Thanks

[presguy]

We recently sailed on the Dawn for the 3rd time and noticed that lox no longer appears at the Garden Cafe. We later found that you can get it if you ask! We did so, and they gave a huge portion.

 

Thanks to all for the great hints and tips. Keep 'em coming.

[presguy]

NCL now has a special area for Latitudes members. There are signs, but I'm not sure everyone sees it. The Latitudes area has cookies, juice and coffee, and you are the first people allowed on board except for the VIPs.

 

There is also express disembarkation. If you are willing/able to carry all of your bags, you can get off first (after VIPs again).

[bobnsandi]

Ditto.

 

I would like to know if there's any tips to getting around on the Star?

 

Any little secret spots we can sit in chairs and watch the sun set?

 

The CCL Inspiration had a great spot I read on the CCL board in the back of the ship pass the pizza place and it was great. I never would have found it if I didn't read it on CC. So I'm looking for something like that about the star.

 

Thanks

 

We've been on more NCL ships since 2003, but our

two trips on the Star are very memorable. She

has changed layout a little since then, but

we recall:

 

o) Bier Garten is out of the way for a cooling drink.

They even have German-style food from time to time.

Noisy, however, due to being above pool area.

 

o) If you like eating outside, there is a breezeway between

the buffet and the pool area that has some tables. When

not crowded, it is pleasant for eating.

 

o) The "lifestyle" rooms (reading, cards, etc) are normally

quiet and pleasant, and have large windows. If the

sunset is on the correct side, might be worth a visit

to sit and enjoy. Starboard side level 12.

 

o) I hope they have deck chairs on the Promenade deck,

so you can enjoy the sunset! We've been on some ships lately

that did had little or no seating on the promenade deck,

somewhat disappointing. On our trips, we had balcony

cabins, but still "rode the rail" particularly for sunsets.

 

o) For the men in the party, do visit the Mens restroom on

the port side just outside the theatre, level 12. Great view

while standing at the "facilities". I've never been in one

with a "view" before.

 

o) Absolutely use the spa area! AFAIK you can use the steam,

sauna, showers, and the lap pool and jacuzzis. There

are deck lounges that face aft, and you can watch the

wake stretch out to infinity. Really great to use when the

ship is in port, fewer crowds.

 

o) Blue Lagoon is great for a quick snack. They have the

dispensers for coffee/tea/juice that operate 24/7.

Usually have cake/cookies 24/7.

 

o) We loved the oriental restaurants, well worth the

extra charge.

 

o) Don't forget that you have to "go up before you go down"

to get to the restaurants. Versailles and Aqua are on a lower

deck (6) but you cannot walk through parts of the ship

to get there, only by stairs or elevator.

 

 

Enjoy your cruise on a beautiful ship!

[judyf]

Thanks for the tips on the Star. I've been asking about the restaurants and going up a floor on our roll call thanks for answering that one for me.

[Hikini]

You will love the Spirit. It is a unique, beautiful ship. My one tip about the Spirit, specifically, is to not miss the limited time they serve fish and chips in Henry's Pub. On our cruise, it was the 2 days we were at sea, and for only about 2 hours during those days.

 

We really enjoyed the kiddie pool area at the back end of the ship. There is a wonderful amphitheater area there with plenty of decks and seating to relax and enjoy the views while sailing, or while in port. Even though it is a kids area, at least on our cruise it was never noisy or overrun with kids. Not that I have anything against kids, but I don't usually combine a childrens area and relaxation in the same sentence!

 

One thing slightly negative about the Spirit, is that the back of the Stardust Theater has a lot of vibration while at sea, so if it is a speaking performance (comedian or ventriloquist, etc.) it can be hard to hear.

 

Enjoy!

Hikini:D

[Seago2]

Chrissie- there are two big member reviews on here right now- one by intrepid_guy and one by johnql- check them out- they are very informative. Here is one I wrote a year ago: http://www.cruisereviews.com/NorwegianCruiseLine/NorwegianSpirit14.htm Hope this will also help you a little. If you have any specific questions feel free to ask.

 

I don't know when you are cruising, but we have a thread going in the Roll Calls section, and I believe there are a few other roll calls for Spirit sailings in March.

 

Here is the bridge cam link- supposed to be updated every fifteen minutes, but it seems to be more like every hour! For some reason it automatically goes to the DAWN's cam, so be sure to click on the SPIRIT (menu is on the left): http://www.kroooz-cams.com/nclindex.html

 

Here are some sites for great pictures:

 

http://164.109.173.139/spirit.htm

 

http://www.nlgsolutions.com/c/media.asp?hid=17162&i=&vessel=439&lineid=34&d=&d2=&mpg=t&p=/tours/thumbs/norwegian_34/439/34_439_Galaxy_of_the_Stars_Lounge_pub.jpg&pg=4&dsc=

[Maryfrei]

Chrissie, I agree the Spirit is a beatiful ship. Check out this thread on Insider tips NCL doesn't tell you about with 228 posts. A wealth of info:)!

 

 

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=180490&highlight=insider

[Nectarologist]

If you miss or don't want to go to the cruise & port consultant talks they have in the Stardust Theater just stop by the front desk sometime after they give the presentation & grab a map/info sheet. I went to the 1st one & they really didn't say anything that wasn't included on the sheets. Except that if you want to wait to the last minute to go on an excursion, if there is room, they sell last minute tickets @ the pier when the boat docks (look for the port & cruise consultant, she'll be around for a bit before heading into town). Also they replay these info sessions on your TV in your stateroom.

Buy a foam drink holder in the gift shop ($2.25) or bring one w/ you to keep drinks ice cold (either cans or frozen drinks in non-souvenir glasses).

 

Also be sure to order drinks in non-souvenir glasses, unless you want them (some server automatically bring drinks in them; I think they are $1 or $1.50 extra).

Have a wonderful time:)

[sunseeker248]

Hi! Lovin' the tips!

 

I am sailing with my husband and 14 month old AND my parents :) (to watch her) on The Jewel on March 5. My husband and I have a balcony room for the first time, and are so excited!

 

My DD loves water, but noticed no swim diapers or babies allowed in any pool on board. The kids activities don't start until 2 years old... what to do? Any helpful hints for logistics with strollers or activities... help!

 

We are all experienced cruisers but our last trip with NCL was on the NORWAY during its last season in service in the US. So we are giving the line another shot.

 

Thank you in advance for any help! I am going to use a bunch of what I read so far...

[angeljt]

Chrissie- there are two big member reviews on here right now- one by intrepid_guy and one by johnql- check them out- they are very informative. Here is one I wrote a year ago: http://www.cruisereviews.com/NorwegianCruiseLine/NorwegianSpirit14.htm Hope this will also help you a little. If you have any specific questions feel free to ask.

Carla,

Great review, thanks for posting the link.

Jackie

[ONLY-NCL]

Hi! Lovin' the tips!

 

I am sailing with my husband and 14 month old AND my parents :) (to watch her) on The Jewel on March 5. My husband and I have a balcony room for the first time, and are so excited!

 

My DD loves water, but noticed no swim diapers or babies allowed in any pool on board. The kids activities don't start until 2 years old... what to do? Any helpful hints for logistics with strollers or activities... help!

 

We are all experienced cruisers but our last trip with NCL was on the NORWAY during its last season in service in the US. So we are giving the line another shot.

 

Thank you in advance for any help! I am going to use a bunch of what I read so far...

 

Hi sunseeker, you should come over and join our roll call, there are a few cruisin kids already there, (although I believe they are all older than 14 months)

[Frick_&_Frack]

Just a note on the Dawn...on the 2/2 sailling, the VIPs got off *after* those carrying all their own luggage.

[Chuckie]

Sunseeker,

We just got off the Spirit on Feb 19th, traveling with 20 month old twins and a 3 and 5 yr old. The older kids went to the Kids Crew and loved every minute. The babies were allowed to play in there with a parent at certain times also. We did put them in the hot tub in the kids area, just put swimmie diapers on and stayed a short time. The best outdoor places to let them run around were the golf and basketball enclosed areas and the helipad. They could safely run all they wanted. Indoors, we would take them to the Galaxy of the Stars ( I don't know what it's called on other ships), the observation room that's usually empty if no activity is scheduled. They could explore without bothering too many people! We had a double wide stroller , which was difficult to get down the hallways if there was any obstacle. We would have been better to have taken the front-back double.

All in all, they did fine. The cribs were pack and plays, and the room steward removed all expendable furniture to accomodate them. The staff was really welcoming to the children, and we all had a great time.

Good luck and have fun.

 

Arlene

[Chuckie]

sunseeker,

I forgot to tell you about the video arcade. They loved it! There was rarely anyone in there and they played on all the stuff and climbed everything. By the way , they had no idea the things actually moved. They thought they were working , but we never put a cent in the machines.

 

Arlene

[cruzin2paradise]

Don't want to start an argument here but if you miss your ship in a foreign port, "copies" of your passort will not do you any good. Make the copies, carry the original, and you'll have the copies in your stateroom if you ever lose your passport and need to get it replaced (at a U.S. consulate etc.)

 

 

Just a suggestion, you can purchase a 50 cent plastic pencil case that zips (the kind that the kids, ok, us adults 40 and over, put in our looseleaf binders) - passports will fit (all 4 of ours did on my last cruise) - put it in the bottom of the bag, backpack, whatever, you take with you off the ship. BH2359 is correct, you need the original if God forbid you miss the ship.

[jw105]

We leave on Sunday and are also sailing on the Spirit. We have a three year old and a 21 month old. What type of room(s) did you have with the twins and the kids? (I'm trying to upsell to a balcony and have gotten conflicting reports from NCL about if a crib and a three year old can fit.) Just curious if you got two connecting rooms?

[trex-de]

sunseeker,

I forgot to tell you about the video arcade. They loved it! There was rarely anyone in there and they played on all the stuff and climbed everything. By the way , they had no idea the things actually moved. They thought they were working , but we never put a cent in the machines.

 

Arlene

 

Does anyone know how much the arcade games cost? My son is 6 and will spend some time arcade. Do the machines take change or the sail card?

Thanks

[CSM]

Does anyone know how much the arcade games cost? My son is 6 and will spend some time arcade. Do the machines take change or the sail card?

Thanks

 

Last March on the Dawn they were $1 a game and took cash.

[sinroze]

Hi Di603:

 

Small Power Strip, Lighted Face Clock, Room Freshener, Several Clothes Pins, Downy Wrinkle Release, Hangers, Zip Lock Bags, Small Flash Light, Steamer (No Irons, Please), Sanitizer Wipes, Sticky Notes, Zip Lock Bags, Large Insulated Mug, Duct Tape-??, Binoculars, Camera, Film, Extra Batteries, Sun Glasses, Sunscreen, Medications in Original Containers, Bonnie or other Seasick Med, Paks of Crystal Lite or Preferred Drink, Highlighter, Small First Aid Items, Cold Meds.

 

You mentioned "clothespins". Wondering what use you would need clothepins for? Also I see you mentioned hangers...but I read somewhere amongst the boards you could ask for hangers? Or have I read wrongly? Is your list dependent upon the type of room you had in the past?

[cruzin2paradise]

You mentioned "clothespins". Wondering what use you would need clothepins for? Also I see you mentioned hangers...but I read somewhere amongst the boards you could ask for hangers? Or have I read wrongly? Is your list dependent upon the type of room you had in the past?

 

I used clothespins on my last cruise to pin wet bathing suits to the chairs on the balcony to dry (it can be windy). We were on RCI and they had a "clothes line" in the shower and we used them to clip the suits there as well.

[Cruisung Lady]

Are you talking about the main restaurants (no charge restaurants)?

[Beedubyah]

I see that there are TV's in each stateroom :rolleyes: . Do these TV's provide regular TV? My Wife and I are avid (make that Rabid :eek: ) watchers of Survivor, will we be able to catch the show on board?:confused:

Sailing on 3/1/06 NCL Star :D

6 more Day's!!!

Beedubyah

[intrepid_guy]

I see that there are TV's in each stateroom . Do these TV's provide regular TV? My Wife and I are avid (make that Rabid ) watchers of Survivor, will we be able to catch the show on board?

Beedubyah -

Sorry, no Survivor on the ship, I missed the premier while on my cruise, better set the VCR (that's what I did!)

 

Also I see you mentioned hangers...but I read somewhere amongst the boards you could ask for hangers?

sinroze - I always bring hangers, never knew I could ask, but still I think I will bring them just in case there are no "extras"

 

~Intrepid

[Bennett'sCruise]

No Survivor ... no Bachelor ... no Idol ... no Dancing w/Stars ... Just the Reality of the open sea and wonderful company!!:D

 

(We missed the premier of the current Survivor, too, while on a cruise ... oh, well:o )

 

~dianne