Just Booked Spirit for 7/06!... Thanks for your help.

[logcabin]

Well, once again, thanks to the help from these GREAT boards we just booked our 2006 cruise. We never book this early. Usually we book around March for June of the same year. But, our TA (whom we've used for 2 years now) got us a GREAT deal on an Aft Penthouse Suite. We can't wait! We've sailed the Dawn 2 years in a row in Aft Penthouse Suites. So, this will be a nice change, different ship, new itinerary. We are big fans of NCL and have always been VERY spoiled in the suites. So, we had to splurg for another suite. So, if anyone out there has any info or photos of suite 9710, please let me know. I have seen photos of most of the other suites. But not 9710. So, I have almost a year to OD on reviews, photos and info. I can't wait.

[cometsmom]

Logcabin - what week did you book? I've been looking at the 8 night on the Spirit (or the 6 night - too short!), versus the 7 night Bahamas on the Dawn, versus Princess Crown, yada-yada-yada! We've only been on Carnival in the past but don't want to do the same itinerary three summers in a row! Princess looks awesome but we would want the western itinerary and the dates for that week in July run from Tues through Thurs the following week -I'm self employed and nearly two full weeks off would probably be too much of a hit on my pocketbook!

 

I know the Spirit is going to be redone in drydock which is exciting but we've never been on NCL anyway so we'd have nothing to compare with! We have two teenaged boys who love Carnival and I just want to be sure they'll love any other line! I don't really know what to do!! My oldest will be starting college in the fall of 2006 so I guess I'll have a better idea what to do after he knows what school he'll go to (by Feb/March) - I just don't think I can wait that long to book!

 

Have a great cruise!

[logcabin]

cometsmom: We've been sailing out of NYC for 4 years now. First was on Carnival Triumph to Cananda, next RCCL Nordic Empress to Bermuda, then the last 2 cruises were on the NCL Dawn to the Bahamas. We enjoyed the Carnival cruise at first, having had nothing to compare to. However, having experienced other lines now, we would not go back to Carnival. RCCL was great fun. Smaller ship, but we had GREAT table mates for dinner and just had a wonderful time.

 

Then, last year we booked the Dawn. Mostly because we saw her when we went on the Bermuda cruise. She was parked next to us at the NY pier. She was HUGE and beautiful. So, we booked her the next year. Anyway, we booked a standard balcony room. But, due to our wonderful TA, we were up-graded to a Penthouse Suite aft on the Dawn. WELL, were we spoiled! The service was GREAT! The suite beautiful, the huge balcony overlooking the wake was tremendous! Then we experienced "Freestyle". Now, keep in mind that it's just my wife and I and we prefer to eat a bit later on cruises. Like 8ish or so. We LOVED the Freestyle. We never waited more then a few minutes for a table, ate whenever and where ever we wanted, the food and service was great. Now, having experienced Freestyle, my wife and I can't imagine ever going back to traditional dinning. We loved the fact we didn't have to sit with other people, etc. Then, one of the perks with staying in a suite is having a Concierge. Well, all you have to do is call the concierge and they will get you a table in any rest. at almost any time. We would call him about 6ish and ask for a table by a window in such and such rest. for 8ish. We would go down at 8ish and bam! There was always a table waiting for us by a window.

 

That cruise and ship was so wonderful that we went again this past June. Same suite even. Our favorite part was being served breakfast each morning in our suite by our Butler. WOW! talk about being spoiled. Then, being Latitudes members now, we were invited to a private Captians cocktail party. We met the Hotel Director, Hugo, and spoke to him for a long time. A very nice man. Well, later that evening the doorbell to our suite rang and it was our Butler. She handed us a leter. it was from Hugo inviting us out to dinner that night to La Bistro, on him. They really know how to treat people. I can't say enough about NCL and the treatment and service we have gotten the past 2 years.

 

So, since I'm a "research freak" with everything I do, I have been searching for a cruise next year. I looked real closely at the new Crown Princess. Especially since they offer a "Freestyle" type dining also. But, I was a little apprehensive with the fact that it was a brand new ship, first cruise, all the kinks not worked out yet, etc. So, we also looked at the Spirit. Frankly, with our wonderful past experiences with NCL, the extra "suite perks", etc. I just couldn't turn it down. Our TA got us a GREAT price for a Penthouse Suite. So, we booked.

 

I really like NCL. We have done very good with them.