Help, cruise on hold and questions......

[canadianjovigirl]

I have tentatively booked teh Western Caribbean from Tampa for Feb 16, 2014. I know its a long ways away, but needing to do a deposit right away on it and wanting to be sure i make the right choices.

 

There will be 2 adults and a 13 year old girl and 14 year old boy cruising. I currently have a family suite booked that includes a $450 OBC for almost $4000.

 

Their rep phoned me of course as it is currently not confirmed, just on hold and he also said i could get one balcony room and one inside room for $3500.

 

My concern is will the family suite work for us and is it worth the $500 more or would the separate rooms and extra bathroom and the balcony be better?

 

We have never cruised before so i am so confused. He did tell me that the family suite has the queen bed and then a sleep sofa and a bunk maybe he called it............so the beds would work for us just wanting to be sure i make the right room choice before paying my deposit.

 

Also wondering if the Dawn has enough to do on it for the kids or should i be looking at a different ship altogether??

[Jamisonke]

I have tentatively booked teh Western Caribbean from Tampa for Feb 16, 2014. I know its a long ways away, but needing to do a deposit right away on it and wanting to be sure i make the right choices.

 

There will be 2 adults and a 13 year old girl and 14 year old boy cruising. I currently have a family suite booked that includes a $450 OBC for almost $4000.

 

Their rep phoned me of course as it is currently not confirmed, just on hold and he also said i could get one balcony room and one inside room for $3500.

 

My concern is will the family suite work for us and is it worth the $500 more or would the separate rooms and extra bathroom and the balcony be better?

 

We have never cruised before so i am so confused. He did tell me that the family suite has the queen bed and then a sleep sofa and a bunk maybe he called it............so the beds would work for us just wanting to be sure i make the right room choice before paying my deposit.

 

Also wondering if the Dawn has enough to do on it for the kids or should i be looking at a different ship altogether??

 

If you're referring to the category SJ family suite, I believe it will be large enough for four. They are very roomy. There is a queen sized bed (two twins pushed together), a sofa bed and a Murphy bed. With all of the beds made up, there will be little room for things, but how many things do you need to have out while you're sleeping?! The breakfast and lunch in Cagney's and the other suite amenities are worth it to me and I would say to do it if the price difference is only $500. From my perspective, the only benefit of booking two rooms instead of one suite is that you would have 2 bathrooms. It may take a family of 4 a long time to get ready in the morning with only 1 bathroom, but I'd still take the suite.

[EaglesWin]

I have tentatively booked teh Western Caribbean from Tampa for Feb 16, 2014. I know its a long ways away, but needing to do a deposit right away on it and wanting to be sure i make the right choices.

 

There will be 2 adults and a 13 year old girl and 14 year old boy cruising. I currently have a family suite booked that includes a $450 OBC for almost $4000.

 

Their rep phoned me of course as it is currently not confirmed, just on hold and he also said i could get one balcony room and one inside room for $3500.

 

My concern is will the family suite work for us and is it worth the $500 more or would the separate rooms and extra bathroom and the balcony be better?

 

We have never cruised before so i am so confused. He did tell me that the family suite has the queen bed and then a sleep sofa and a bunk maybe he called it............so the beds would work for us just wanting to be sure i make the right room choice before paying my deposit.

 

Also wondering if the Dawn has enough to do on it for the kids or should i be looking at a different ship altogether??

 

Check how much OBC you get with the balcony/inside combo. The total price when you consider the OBC may make the suite a no-brainer.

[BadKitteh]

I am booked in an SJ suite for January 19th of 2014. The size of the room and suite perks are a fantastic advantage...but will the teens want privacy from mom and dad and do you need a 2nd bathroom?

[mali06]

OR will the parents want privacy from the teenagers? ;)

[canadianjovigirl]

Thanks everyone..........still stuff i have to figure out that i would have never thought of (OBC with the balcony and inside room for one)

 

Having never cruised before i wasnt sure if i was picking the wrong room category and was second guessing my choice and then when they called it just made me even more confused. All he stated about the suite was they were one of the more expensive options on board and there was no balcony, just a wall of windows with a great view. He did state it was a queit area of the ship as well. It is room 12508 on the Dawn if that helps.

 

I will call him back and find out the balcony/inside room info before making a final decision as the $500 difference is not nearly as much as i thought it would be, especially with the OBC it is showing me on my reservation page for the suite.

 

What are the advantages to having the suite? It is hard to figure out on the website when you are a cruise virgin........

 

One bathroom isnt that big of a deal as we have dealt with that lots as we usually only have one room for our Mexico vacations - the bed set up is more important to us. The kids would be fine with whatever we choose as they would know no different ...........

[punkincc]

One thing to keep in mind when you are price comparing,is that with the SJ suite you will have a butler and concierge along with the usual cabin steward. The butler and concierge are not in the tip pool which comes from the daily service charge you pay and you will need to budget to tip them at the end of the cruise.

 

One other thing to consider on the SJ suites is the location. We had an SJ on deck 12 on the Star. It was the first in line as you entered the glass doors from the pool deck. Those front cabins are under the jogging track and you do get noise from above early ams. The track is not supposed to open until 7 or 8am but we were awakened every day at 5am. Not sure if it was crew or passengers. Something to keep in mind if you are light sleepers. Otherwise it is a great cabin.

 

A few other perks with the suite would be breakfast and lunch at Cagneys, one of the for fee restaurants, priority boarding and disembarkation and the services of the concierge for dinner or excursion reservations. You can do a search for a complete list of perks.

[fast ed]

First off, let me say you've made a good choice for first cruise. Very good line, nice intermediate size ship, and relatively easy departure port. Your cruise is almost a year and a half away, and your kids will be that much older when you actually cruise. I think that you need to give more thought to a regular balcony cabin ( should run about $1400.00 for two ) and a regular inside cabin directly across the narrow corridor about $1100.00 for two. You can book this cruise now, or six months from now and it will still be available. Your family comfort should be your deciding factor. In any case, you will all be satisfied with the Dawn.

[canadianjovigirl]

First off, let me say you've made a good choice for first cruise. Very good line, nice intermediate size ship, and relatively easy departure port. Your cruise is almost a year and a half away, and your kids will be that much older when you actually cruise. I think that you need to give more thought to a regular balcony cabin ( should run about $1400.00 for two ) and a regular inside cabin directly across the narrow corridor about $1100.00 for two. You can book this cruise now, or six months from now and it will still be available. Your family comfort should be your deciding factor. In any case, you will all be satisfied with the Dawn.

 

Thanks for the input on my choice, it was not really intentional i was just researching and this is what happens :D

 

I did get the price of $3500 from him for a balcony and a inside cabin - seems there are no regular balcony rooms that you are talking about to come to the $2500. Can you really cruise for that price for a family of 4 for a week????

 

My kids will be 13 and 15 when we cruise, so hoping there is enough on the ship for them.

 

So there is really no benefit to book early then? I guess the specials will change all the time so who knows when the perfect time to book is.......sigh......

 

Can somebody lead me in the right direction on read up on the tipping aspect as i would not want to get that wrong. Wanting an idea of who and how much to tip those not included in the charge that you can add on and prepay.

[punkincc]

If you are not in a suite, then you will not have to worry about tipping anyone with cash at the end of the week.

 

Your tips will be included in the daily service charge that will be added to your onboard account, $12 per person per day. This covers the room steward, servers, kitchen staffs etc. A service fee will be added to any drinks you order, but many people will add a little extra tip when they sign the tab. And of course you are free to leave extra at the end of the week to anyone you feel has provided exceptional service.

 

Don't forget to watch for price drops between now and your final payment date. Sometimes you can get a price adjustment or upgrade. There is a ton of information here on the boards about cruising, or if you can't find it just ask. You can check out info about the teen programs on board also. I think you will love NCL.

 

Just curious though, what about the issue of 2 kids in one cabin under 21?

Someone was posting about that very recently.

[rajones007]

Your kids' ages were about what my kids' ages were when we were on the on the Star (the sister ship to the Dawn.) My GF and I are mid-40's.

 

I'll get to your tipping question in a moment. There's something I want to say first....

 

Just throwing this out there, that's all;

 

You should look into the possibility of the 2 bedroom family suite. It looks like it'll run you about $6k for the 4 of you (compared to $4.7k for the Family Suite...at least that's what NCL.com is showing me). And still with a $450 OBC.

 

We (my GF and I) were torn between differing cabins before our Star cruise, just like you. But we finally broke down and went with the 2 bedroom family suite after much deliberation.

 

Not only did the kids (15 year old girl + 13 year old boy, at the time) have their own room, but they also had their own bathroom. Of course, being siblings of differing sex they never had to share a room at home. So obviously they had some pre-cruise worries about privacy issues, which never materialized. They're smart enough to realize they had to make the best of it and make some tiny adjustments to their routines. And they did. We never heard a single complaint, not one, the entire cruise.

 

The layout of the 2 bedroom FS cabin is perfect for families with teenagers, in my opinion. The regular family suite, I believe, is designed for families with small children OR maybe a grandparent +adult children +grandchildren type of situation.

 

My GF likes to sleep in, as do our kids sometimes. So when I got up early each morning I had the living/dining area to have my coffee and watch TV in, and not bother a soul. I could also leave/re-enter the cabin without bothering anybody. It was the perfect setup, if you ask me.

 

Regarding tipping: just leave the auto-tips on. I believe it's $12 per day per person for suite passengers. Then tip the butler/concierge as you use him/her. Simple as that.

[canadianjovigirl]

Right now the one i have on hold, which is the family suite with no balcony is $4255.76 total including the prepaid service charge. It also states Your booking includes a $450 on board credit. So i think switching to the 2 bedroom suite ( while ideal) will be quite a price jump. Is the no balcony going to be a huge issue or do you think it will be okay? I'm thinking we cant miss what we never had, but also like the idea of sitting outside with a snack and cocktail but unsure if we would actually spend time doing that.

 

I also have an 18 year old daughter so they are used to not ideal situations while on vacation (unless its a vacation home or condo rental) and have never complained about privacy etc i have just always promised them their own bed to sleep on and they are good with that. At this point my 18 year old probably wont make the cruise due to work and school.

 

With this being our first cruise i dont want us all in a small box on top of each other, nor do i want the most expensive as 2014 is our budget family vacation trip as we have Cayman Islands this Christmas and Hawaii for Christmas in 2014 booked as well - pending we dont convert to full time cruisers ;)

[EaglesWin]

For a first-time cruiser. I would recommend either the balcony/inside combo or adjoining family balconies (category B3, about $3800 with taxes etc less $100 OBC). I am seeing $3900 with $450 OBC for the SJ suite, but you need to account for tips (maybe $100+ for the butler, $50+ for the concierge based on how much they do for you).

 

The balconies will give you a good intro to cruising, then if you like cruising, try a suite next time so you can appreciate the additional amenities.

 

It's best to book early to make sure you get the cabin(s) you want, and to lock in a price in the event they go up. You can always cancel and rebook (prior to final payment, 90-days prior to sailing) if prices drop.

[peg013]

Right now the one i have on hold, which is the family suite with no balcony is $4255.76 total including the prepaid service charge. It also states Your booking includes a $450 on board credit. So i think switching to the 2 bedroom suite ( while ideal) will be quite a price jump. Is the no balcony going to be a huge issue or do you think it will be okay? I'm thinking we cant miss what we never had, but also like the idea of sitting outside with a snack and cocktail but unsure if we would actually spend time doing that.

 

I also have an 18 year old daughter so they are used to not ideal situations while on vacation (unless its a vacation home or condo rental) and have never complained about privacy etc i have just always promised them their own bed to sleep on and they are good with that. At this point my 18 year old probably wont make the cruise due to work and school.

 

With this being our first cruise i dont want us all in a small box on top of each other, nor do i want the most expensive as 2014 is our budget family vacation trip as we have Cayman Islands this Christmas and Hawaii for Christmas in 2014 booked as well - pending we dont convert to full time cruisers ;)

 

I think you will be fine without a balcony, especially since you haven't had one yet. We had a SJ and the view is awesome. You also have a bar and deck one deck up from your suite so you can hang out there when you want to be outside. We always book balconies and LOVED the SJ. We are doing an SD next with the balcony but would book an SJ again when we need to economize. As far as the noise from the jogging track - you are far enough forward that the track will not be over you.

[K L B]

I have tentatively booked teh Western Caribbean from Tampa for Feb 16, 2014. I know its a long ways away, but needing to do a deposit right away on it and wanting to be sure i make the right choices.

 

There will be 2 adults and a 13 year old girl and 14 year old boy cruising. I currently have a family suite booked that includes a $450 OBC for almost $4000.

 

Their rep phoned me of course as it is currently not confirmed, just on hold and he also said i could get one balcony room and one inside room for $3500.

 

My concern is will the family suite work for us and is it worth the $500 more or would the separate rooms and extra bathroom and the balcony be better?

 

We have never cruised before so i am so confused. He did tell me that the family suite has the queen bed and then a sleep sofa and a bunk maybe he called it............so the beds would work for us just wanting to be sure i make the right room choice before paying my deposit.

 

Also wondering if the Dawn has enough to do on it for the kids or should i be looking at a different ship altogether??

 

If you head over to youtube you will usually be able to find a room tour of the category you are wondering about, and I personally find them to be a tremendous help when selecting my cabin size. I found this one of the family suite, and there may be others. You can probably find the same tours of other categories on the dawn.

[canadianjovigirl]

Thanks everyone for all your help. Sure wish i could make a decision as i guess i have until the end of today to get the promos!!

 

I did speak with NCL again and this is the breakdown of our choices:

 

The family suite is $4255.76 including service charges. With that we get a $450 OBC. Room 12508 with a queen bed, sofa bed and murphy bed and what ever perks you get with a suite. NCL said the perks were a butler and concierge service........

 

We could also get a regular BD balcony room and a inside room across the hall on Deck 8 for $3435.76 with a $75 OBC for those rooms.

 

I am thinking the suite sounds like a better deal, but NCL rep said he would advise booking the separate rooms and then if we change our minds we can upgrade to a suite. (may lose the OBC then)

 

Guess i have 6 hours to figure this out...............

[K L B]

Thanks everyone for all your help. Sure wish i could make a decision as i guess i have until the end of today to get the promos!!

 

I did speak with NCL again and this is the breakdown of our choices:

 

The family suite is $4255.76 including service charges. With that we get a $450 OBC. Room 12508 with a queen bed, sofa bed and murphy bed and what ever perks you get with a suite. NCL said the perks were a butler and concierge service........

 

We could also get a regular BD balcony room and a inside room across the hall on Deck 8 for $3435.76 with a $75 OBC for those rooms.

 

I am thinking the suite sounds like a better deal, but NCL rep said he would advise booking the separate rooms and then if we change our minds we can upgrade to a suite. (may lose the OBC then)

 

Guess i have 6 hours to figure this out...............

 

Personally, I would do the research on the suite benefits (there are many threads) and decide accordingly based on that. If you like those extra perks, go for the suite!

[canadianjovigirl]

Personally, I would do the research on the suite benefits (there are many threads) and decide accordingly based on that. If you like those extra perks, go for the suite!

 

Off to find those now............

[GSLMOM]

With those prices, I would definitely go with the suite!

[punkincc]

Taking the OBCs into consideration, and the additional tips for the butler/concierge, ( I estimated $150 although this is highly subjective and you my want to pay more or less ), you will pay an additional $594 for the SJ suite vs the balcony and inside.

 

We loved the SJ cabin, bur we were only 2. If I were in your shoes, I think the balcony, extra bathroom and privacy would weigh heavily against an extra $594. That buys a lot of extra shore excursions, spa treatments and umbrella drinks.

 

Only you know whether the perks of the suite are worth the extra money, no balcony, 1 bath, all in one room setup.

 

We really never asked our butler for anything, but he brought afternoon canapés so we felt obligated to leave tip at the end. We never used the concierge either as we did all of our own booking. To me the best perk is that you can have breakfast and lunch at Cagneys and avoid the buffet.

[weltek]

We really never asked our butler for anything, but he brought afternoon canapés so we felt obligated to leave tip at the end. We never used the concierge either as we did all of our own booking. To me the best perk is that you can have breakfast and lunch at Cagneys and avoid the buffet.

 

Agree with everything Punkincc said, except the last part. The buffet isn't the only other option if you don't get the suite perk of breakfast and lunch at Cagneys. The main dining room is open to all cruisers for those meals, as is the Blue Lagoon.

[canadianjovigirl]

Guess there is no need to rush into this then and secure a booking today then. Maybe i would be better to cancel what i have on hold and research more and then decide.

 

I just have no knowledge of crusing or pricing and thought the $4255.76 for the suite with the OBC was a great deal (maybe it is, maybe it isnt), but after breaking down the costs of a balcony and inside room minus the OBC offered for both rooms it is a $445 more for the suite and maybe the perks are not worth that much.

 

Just thought the OBC and the 1/2 price deposit they are offering right now would be the time to jump and book something, but maybe there will be something better or similar in the New Year.............

 

Is deck 8 a decent deck as that is what i am being offered for the balcony/inside room............another appeal to the suite was the closeness to the pool and hot tub, but maybe once your familar with the ship nothing is to far away.

[callmebetty]

That is a big difference in OBC! Another thing to add, in case you aren't confused enough...I don't think the OBC can be used towards to the daily service charges, but you may know that already as you included them in your quoted price.

The suite life is sweet...to me it would be worth the extra money for the priority embarkation, Cagney's for breakfast and lunch, the butler that can bring you things from Cagney's for breakfast and lunch (and stuff from all over the place pretty much) and again that extra OBC. If you are worried about 4 people cramming in showers, use some of the OBC for a spa pass and shower there :)

And at that age, the kids will probably be off doing teen stuff, leaving you on your own to do your thing.

Your only problem will be cruising again if you aren't in a suite. We went from a suite to an inside the following year and went into withdrawls! Not that we didn't have a good time, any room on the ship beats my classroom!

[canadianjovigirl]

That is a big difference in OBC! Another thing to add, in case you aren't confused enough...I don't think the OBC can be used towards to the daily service charges, but you may know that already as you included them in your quoted price.

The suite life is sweet...to me it would be worth the extra money for the priority embarkation, Cagney's for breakfast and lunch, the butler that can bring you things from Cagney's for breakfast and lunch (and stuff from all over the place pretty much) and again that extra OBC. If you are worried about 4 people cramming in showers, use some of the OBC for a spa pass and shower there :)

And at that age, the kids will probably be off doing teen stuff, leaving you on your own to do your thing.

Your only problem will be cruising again if you aren't in a suite. We went from a suite to an inside the following year and went into withdrawls! Not that we didn't have a good time, any room on the ship beats my classroom!

 

I just thought maybe the extra perks may convert my hubby who is super hesitant about trying a cruise, but has said he would try it once as he wont know unless he does. Also the OBC would make it easier to order them drinks thinking they were being paid for with free money :D even though i know how it really works - just prefer to think of it that way. I have no issues tipping a butler as i am sure we would use him and grow to love that perk and the draw Cagney's may be a good one as well, but not sure if we could access that without the suite or not - will look into that more. I am not overly concerned about sharing a room or bathroom with the kids as we are used to that from our Mexico all inclusive vacations. The only time they get their own room is when we do vacation house/condo rentals............heck they dont even know direct flights exist as we always opt for the cheaper flights with a layover to save money ;)

[canadianjovigirl]

Can somebody direct me to where i can find out all the extra costs while on board as my understanding is soda etc is not included and wanting to figure out what i would need for the kids to spend on board and what i figure we would spend on board (not including excursions) as that may help weigh which room i choose...........