A Few general Norwegian Questions

[KSinSTL]

Will be sailing on the Getaway 9/19 with my sister (26) and my kids (16)(18) and I have a few general questions hopefully someone can answer.

 

1. Why does everyone keep mentioning taking bottled water on board? Is the regular tap water not tasty? Is there another reason?

 

2. Is my 18 yo allowed to gamble in the Casino?

 

3. Since going in September and most schools just getting started, will there be many kids the age of mine there? Anyway to find out how many are expected?

 

4. How do you go about keeping your room and fridge cool while you are not in your room since you need your key card to keep it all activated?

 

5. Still no lobster dinners?

 

6. Should the waterslides be one of the 1st things we do once on board due to the long lines later, and all week or is there a good time to take advantage of those? Same goes for the wall and ropes.

 

7. Now, this is a silly question... My whole family needs a fan to sleep at night just for the noise (i know, crazy). When cruising with Royal, we were able to ask for a fan in our room and they obliged. Does NCL do special requests like that or do I have to bring my own with me. If we were allowed to sleep with the balcony door open, that would help, but I understand we cannot. No noise equals 4 sleepless cranky people. lol.

 

That's all I can think of right now. Thanks so much for your help.

[SwissLe]

People are going on about bottled water because it's expensive onboard, isn't included in the beverages packages. The water onboard is safe to drink but does have an odd taste to many people, I think this is due to the fact it's very rarely cold coming out the tap. When it's iced in the restaurant it's very easy to drink. It's also frowned upon to refill slim necked bottles in the buffet.

 

Your 18 year old is able to gamble and join the players club.

 

I always take a loyalty card or ask for another key card to put in the slot. I've never had an issue. I'd put in a request for a fan, no idea if you'll get it. Normally people are trying to reduce noise!

[Fitzyk23]

If any of you have a smart phone there are white noise apps you can use even if you have your data turned off.

[pretykym]

My husband also will not travel with out a fan!

[johnlatte]

Will be sailing on the Getaway 9/19 with my sister (26) and my kids (16)(18) and I have a few general questions hopefully someone can answer.

 

1. Why does everyone keep mentioning taking bottled water on board? Is the regular tap water not tasty? Is there another reason? I find that people are really peculiar about their water. I bring a nalgene bottle and get ice from the room steward, I never schlep water on board.

 

2. Is my 18 yo allowed to gamble in the Casino? Yes

 

3. Since going in September and most schools just getting started, will there be many kids the age of mine there? Anyway to find out how many are expected? There will be some, there's always kids on board regardless of the time of year. I don't believe you can find out in advance though how many kids will be there.

4. How do you go about keeping your room and fridge cool while you are not in your room since you need your key card to keep it all activated? Not affected by the card key switch. Note though that I have never seen one keep things really cold

5. Still no lobster dinners? Only in some pasta from the buffet

 

6. Should the waterslides be one of the 1st things we do once on board due to the long lines later, and all week or is there a good time to take advantage of those? Same goes for the wall and ropes. Waterslides usually do not have a big wait time since they move people through pretty quickly. Ropes course definitely need to get going on it as soon as possible. I believe that they open at 10:00a most days, so get there at 9:30.

 

7. Now, this is a silly question... My whole family needs a fan to sleep at night just for the noise (i know, crazy). When cruising with Royal, we were able to ask for a fan in our room and they obliged. Does NCL do special requests like that or do I have to bring my own with me. If we were allowed to sleep with the balcony door open, that would help, but I understand we cannot. No noise equals 4 sleepless cranky people. lol.

 

That's all I can think of right now. Thanks so much for your help.

----

[mjkacmom]

Several members if my family sleep with white noise machines - we just bring one with us when we travel.

[SwissLe]

Oh and the fridge won't be connected to the card slot, it will be on constantly.

[Sizzlechest]

1. Why does everyone keep mentioning taking bottled water on board? Is the regular tap water not tasty? Is there another reason?

 

Convenience. Thirsty in the middle of the night? Cold water without leaving your room. Maybe it's just psychological for me, but I can't bring myself to use the glasses in the room and take water from the bathroom sink. Great when in port, too.

 

2. Is my 18 yo allowed to gamble in the Casino?

 

Yes.

 

4. How do you go about keeping your room and fridge cool while you are not in your room since you need your key card to keep it all activated?

 

Stick anything card sized into the slot. If you don't have a card you want to leave behind (like a credit card or ID card), ask the front desk for an extra blank ship card to stick in the slot to keep everything on.

 

5. Still no lobster dinners?

 

Correct.

 

6. Should the waterslides be one of the 1st things we do once on board due to the long lines later, and all week or is there a good time to take advantage of those? Same goes for the wall and ropes.

 

They may not be open when you first get on board. Check the dailies on past trips to see when they open. Also, your room may not be ready until much later so no place to change comfortably. (Always a possibility.) If you REALLY want to get in the pool ASAP, wear your bathing suit under your clothes and carry an extra bag to store your outerwear.

[KSinSTL]

Thanks everyone, answered all my questions. Looking forward to my trip.

[janpo]

Thanks everyone, answered all my questions. Looking forward to my trip.

 

I also use a fan to sleep and usually pack a small one. I read on another post about turning the tv to a channel that has the snow and put a towel over the tv to block the light.

Edited July 23, 2015 by janpo

[paulh84]

There are tons of free white noise apps. I take my little Jambox Bluetooth speaker and it works wonders. Way easier and more compact than taking a fan or actual white noise machine.

[Sarahellen]

The fridge is always on and I believe the AC stays on too. You can put a business card in the key slot to keep the electricity on in your cabin. It doesn't need to have a magnetic strip or even be made of plastic for that matter. This comes in handy when you want to keep electronics charging while you are out of the room.

 

If you are in a balcony room, keep in mind that any time you open the door the AC will shut off. I believe you have to manually turn the AC back on every time you close the balcony door.

[SaveFarris]

Will be sailing on the Getaway 9/19 with my sister (26) and my kids (16)(18) and I have a few general questions hopefully someone can answer.

 

 

6. Should the waterslides be one of the 1st things we do once on board due to the long lines later, and all week or is there a good time to take advantage of those? Same goes for the wall and ropes.

 

You could just wait and go on a port day. The ship is usually cleared out and you've got the run of the place.

[Sarahellen]

Is not being able to sleep with the balcony door open a Getaway specific thing? We had a balcony on the Breakaway to Bermuda in April and we slept with the balcony door open every night. I don't remember seeing anything that said it wasn't allowed. Did I miss that rule?

[StaceyCT]

Is not being able to sleep with the balcony door open a Getaway specific thing? We had a balcony on the Breakaway to Bermuda in April and we slept with the balcony door open every night. I don't remember seeing anything that said it wasn't allowed. Did I miss that rule?

 

I was on the Getaway in a balcony cabin in late June, and we slept with the balcony door open almost every night. The sound of the water was delightful - like ocean waves!

 

The only potential problem is that the air conditioning turns off when the balcony door is open, so you might get warm. I didn't generally find that enough of a negative to close the balcony door, however.

 

OP, try to get a cabin that has the bed next to the balcony. I believe these rooms have the "indentation" going into the room on the deck plan. My cabin, 11158, was one of these.

 

-Stacey

[Sarahellen]

I was on the Getaway in a balcony cabin in late June, and we slept with the balcony door open almost every night. The sound of the water was delightful - like ocean waves!

 

 

 

The only potential problem is that the air conditioning turns off when the balcony door is open, so you might get warm. I didn't generally find that enough of a negative to close the balcony door, however.

 

 

 

OP, try to get a cabin that has the bed next to the balcony. I believe these rooms have the "indentation" going into the room on the deck plan. My cabin, 11158, was one of these.

 

 

 

-Stacey

 

 

Sleeping with that door open was like heaven for us. I can definitely see your point about the AC during the summer. That was one perk about sailing in late April was that, if anything, it was a bit cool at night which was perfect sleeping temperature for us.

 

I concur with your advice to book a room with the bed next to the balcony. We had a room like that and loved it.

[kcwiak]

 

4. How do you go about keeping your room and fridge cool while you are not in your room since you need your key card to keep it all activated?

 

Is this really an issue? I don't recall the fridge or the a/c not being on when we were not in the room. Both were always cold when we came back...

[burm]

Stick anything card sized into the slot. If you don't have a card you want to leave behind (like a credit card or ID card), ask the front desk for an extra blank ship card to stick in the slot to keep everything on.

 

 

I have cruised on several lines before, but this will be my first on Norwegian.

I don't understand this about keeping a card in a slot to keep the fridge and the air conditioner running???? You have got to be kidding! :eek::confused:

[Sarahellen]

I have cruised on several lines before, but this will be my first on Norwegian.

 

I don't understand this about keeping a card in a slot to keep the fridge and the air conditioner running???? You have got to be kidding! :eek::confused:

 

 

I think they might have been a bit confused as to what is controlled by the key slot. You are supposed to put your cruise card in the slot while you are in the room and take it out when you leave. When you take it out, the lights and the one available plug passengers can access shut off as a way to conserve energy on the ship.

 

The only time this was a problem for us was if we wanted to leave our electronics charging while we were out of the room. The solution is to put another card or even a paper business card in the slot while you are out to keep the power on.

[russianmom]

I have cruised on several lines before, but this will be my first on Norwegian.

I don't understand this about keeping a card in a slot to keep the fridge and the air conditioner running???? You have got to be kidding! :eek::confused:

 

The key slot for power does not apply to the Sun, so no worries

[burm]

To turn your air conditioner on, please place either your ship's card or $10 in the slot.

To turn the fridge on, please deposit $5 per use.

Lights are a bargain, and only $1 per day.

 

LOL

[FreestyleNovice]

.. I read on another post about turning the tv to a channel that has the snow and put a towel over the tv to block the light.

 

That's a huge fire hazard.. :mad:

[chengkp75]

As for the A/C and the card slot, it does not turn off the A/C, as this would be inefficient to have to pull the cabin back down from ambient every time you came back. It does dial the thermostat back 3-4 degrees, which save considerable money. It's real unfortunate that the designers did not leave the outlets out of the card slot circuits, since anything left charging is a very minor amount of energy (though it is done for safety reasons, so that anyone who leaves a hair dryer plugged in would not present a fire risk). The real reason for the slots is to dial back the A/C and cut the lights, which everyone leaves on all the time. That's the energy savings, not the outlets.

[lwrandall]

The problem I had was when I would leave the room with something in the slot the cabin Stewart would remove what I put in. I figured out why. Above the door on in the hallway are three lights. One Do Not Disturb, one Make up Cabin and one tied to the card slot. The one for card slot means the cabin is occupied which means do not disturbed. This light is tied to the card slot. The cabin Stewart doesn't know if the cabin is occupied if you leave something in the slot at all times. I gave up leaving something in the slot because it was out of the slot when I came back. Not sure if this is a directive or just my Stewart. So I would only put a card in the slot after the cabin had been serviced.

[chengkp75]

The problem I had was when I would leave the room with something in the slot the cabin Stewart would remove what I put in. I figured out why. Above the door on in the hallway are three lights. One Do Not Disturb, one Make up Cabin and one tied to the card slot. The one for card slot means the cabin is occupied which means do not disturbed. This light is tied to the card slot. The cabin Stewart doesn't know if the cabin is occupied if you leave something in the slot at all times. I gave up leaving something in the slot because it was out of the slot when I came back. Not sure if this is a directive or just my Stewart. So I would only put a card in the slot after the cabin had been serviced.

 

While keeping a card in the slot when out of the cabin is extremely common, it does defeat the purpose of having the card slot there in the first place, so it is company policy that the lights, etc, be off when the cabin is unoccupied. Some attendants will follow the company, some will bow to the customer in the name of service.