New to Norwegian...any tips?

[purplemusik]

Hi there :) As you can tell by my sig, I'm not new to cruising but I only know the ropes to Carnival and Disney. Just throwing this out there incase there are any tips you all can tell me about NCL. We are booked on the Sun ( ALASKA! ) for June and I can't WAIT! It will be me, my grandmother, and my 9 year old daughter. With Carnival there is the FTTF program where you can get on board ( and a few other perks ) early. You can also bring a case of soda/water. I was curious if this was the same. Please include anything else you can think of!

 

EEEEEEEE! So excited!

[HokiePoq]

Welcome!

One tip for the Freestyle Dining....We try to get there on the early side shortly after the dining room opens. The dining rooms may have different operating times, so check that. You will be seated immediately up to the point where the dining room fills up. If you like eating later, allow time between opening and your dining so you won't have long to wait if at all.

On embarkation day you can usually choose to eat in the main dining room and avoid the crowded buffet. Be sure to get a copy of the Freestyle Daily as you go through the embarkation process to check your dining options.

Alaska is beautiful...Enjoy your cruise!

 

P.S. If you like your experience, buy one of the Future Cruise Certificates. We always have one in reserve. You pay $250 with $100 immediately credited back as onboard credit. Then when you book again, you have reduced deposit on the next cruise. Four years to use and a good deal for us.

[purplemusik]

NICE! Thanks for the tips! I'm beyond excited!

[DorothyB]

Yes you can carry water on board.

 

My first NCL cruise was the Sun to Alaska :)

Edited August 23, 2014 by DorothyB

[fairygirl1]

Welcome!

One tip for the Freestyle Dining....We try to get there on the early side shortly after the dining room opens. The dining rooms may have different operating times, so check that. You will be seated immediately up to the point where the dining room fills up. If you like eating later, allow time between opening and your dining so you won't have long to wait if at all.

On embarkation day you can usually choose to eat in the main dining room and avoid the crowded buffet. Be sure to get a copy of the Freestyle Daily as you go through the embarkation process to check your dining options.

Alaska is beautiful...Enjoy your cruise!

 

P.S. If you like your experience, buy one of the Future Cruise Certificates. We always have one in reserve. You pay $250 with $100 immediately credited back as onboard credit. Then when you book again, you have reduced deposit on the next cruise. Four years to use and a good deal for us.

 

To clarify,,,, I thought if we purchase t h e future cruise certificate, THAT is our deposit for future cruise,,,,

[AEckhardt]

To clarify,,,, I thought if we purchase t h e future cruise certificate, THAT is our deposit for future cruise,,,,

 

 

It is used as a deposit toward a future cruise, ( of your choosing anytime in the next four years) but where you get the $100 OBC, it is like paying $150 as a deposit instead of $250. I think that is what the PP meant.

[SteveH2508]

To clarify,,,, I thought if we purchase t h e future cruise certificate, THAT is our deposit for future cruise,,,,

 

For a 'normal' cabin it is the full deposit - for suites it is a partial deposit I believe.

[AEckhardt]

What's great about NCL is that you can do as little or as much as you'd like. If you want to dress up and have an elegant evening, you can. If you want to keep it casual, you can do that as well. Norwegian had a large range of cabin categories, everything from the simplest inside to extravagant three bedroom penthouses. Watch pricing, as it only takes a simple phone call to move up to a better cabin category if prices fall.

 

Their staff is fantastic and go out of their way to accommodate you. I'm sure you will have a fabulous time!

[NMLady]

Hi there :) As you can tell by my sig, I'm not new to cruising but I only know the ropes to Carnival and Disney. Just throwing this out there incase there are any tips you all can tell me about NCL. We are booked on the Sun ( ALASKA! ) for June and I can't WAIT! It will be me, my grandmother, and my 9 year old daughter. With Carnival there is the FTTF program where you can get on board ( and a few other perks ) early. You can also bring a case of soda/water. I was curious if this was the same. Please include anything else you can think of!

 

EEEEEEEE! So excited!

 

I've cruised two long cruises on the Sun and loved the ship. Be sure you check out the Observation lounge at the top of the ship in the bow. It has wonderful floor to ceiling windows with chairs for sitting to enjoy the view. On either side of the lounge is a door to a small outdoor viewing area. Awesome.

 

Also, in the stern of the ship if you walk all the way through the buffet you will find the Great Outdoors with seating area, another great viewing area. So is the Sports Bar on the other side of Great Outdoors from buffet. It also has floor to ceiling windows, on one side. I often carried my breakfast or lunch from buffet into there to enjoy the view when buffet and Great Outdoors were full.

 

Yes you can bring soda as well as water aboard. Personally I think bringing water is a waste since ship tap water is fine to drink. I always just bring a refillable bottle.

 

If you wish you can also bring wine on board, as much as you wish, but you will pay a "corkage" fee per bottle regardless of where you drink it. I think the fee is $15 per bottle. Have it in your carry-on luggage, not checked.