Cruising on Breakaway 2016..traveling with parents

[Toya1228]

Hello,

I am traveling on NCL for the 1st time. This will be my 3rd cruise. I am going with my husband, 2 kids (will be 2 and 4 at the time of travel) and my parents. My DH booked the aft facing penthouse in the Haven (need the space for the kids.LOL) and my mom booked the aft facing balcony 2 doors down. I called NCL to see how I could combine the reservations for when we want to go to dinner together or for any other activities. She informed me that they can put my parents as a "travel with" reservation. So that way for dinners we will be together. I recently found out that the Haven suites board the ship early. Will my parents be able to board with us? Just having the extra hands would help with 2 active toddlers. Just wondering. Thanks for any suggestions and please let me know if there are any other tips that I should know. :):):):):)

[mjkacmom]

I think it depends on the staff that day. I don't understand being combined for dinner. When you show up at a restaurant, ask for a table for 6. If you want to make reservations, make them for 6. NCL doesn't care who is traveling with who.

[Toya1228]

Well according to the rep I talked to on the phone; putting my parents as a "travel with" will let the staff know we are traveling together and will make things easier. I never traveled on NCL so I don't really know if it matters. Thanks

[SuiteTraveler]

Hello,

I am traveling on NCL for the 1st time. This will be my 3rd cruise. I am going with my husband, 2 kids (will be 2 and 4 at the time of travel) and my parents. My DH booked the aft facing penthouse in the Haven (need the space for the kids.LOL) and my mom booked the aft facing balcony 2 doors down. I called NCL to see how I could combine the reservations for when we want to go to dinner together or for any other activities. She informed me that they can put my parents as a "travel with" reservation. So that way for dinners we will be together. I recently found out that the Haven suites board the ship early. Will my parents be able to board with us? Just having the extra hands would help with 2 active toddlers. Just wondering. Thanks for any suggestions and please let me know if there are any other tips that I should know. :):):):):)

 

Most likely your parents will NOT be able to use any Haven perks. Boarding early is only one of the many, many perks available to you, your husband and your kids. I recommend your parents upgrade to a penthouse or other Haven accommodation. It will make things much better for everyone. Otherwise, it is going to be like you and your husband are on a different cruise or you will have forego all your perks because of your parents. Another option would be for all of you to upgrade to a 2 bedroom family villa in the Haven. Your parents would get the second bedroom and your kiddos would get the sofa bed in the living room. This would give you all, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a living room, dining room, balcony and everyone would have access to the Haven, Haven Pool, Haven hot tubs, Haven sauna, Haven steam room, Haven restaurant, Haven lounge, Haven sun deck, butler service, concierge service and all the other perks.

[tymike]

I traveled this July with a party of 8 spread throughout one Haven room and three balcony rooms. The staff at the pier did not allow the six people not in the Haven enter the Haven waiting room or board with us "Haven people". They did, however, somehow put them in the boarding group just behind the suite folks so it was pretty much a non issue in the end. We all just decided to meet at Uptown Grill at whatever time for lunch and that was that.

 

The concierge on board did let us all disembark together from the Haven lounge, but that was the only time our travelling friends ever got to go in there (we were in a FF penthouse on deck 9.)

 

I do think it can differ depending on who is staffing at the pier as there have been reports of families being able to board together regardless of stateroom catagory, but for my sailing they pretty much had three employees monitoring (aka guarding?) the Haven waiting room door at all times.

[pieshops]

to the OP, we booked these cabins and found some cool info, on some of the decks the configuration of the aft cabins has a separate door to the balcony from the bedroom and additionally the sliding glass door from the main room. Some cabins just have the one door from the main room. When there are 4 in that cabin it is nice to have a separate balcony door so check it out

[Toya1228]

Thanks so much for the suggestions. I am hoping that my parents can come with us but if not maybe they will be in the next boarding group. I don't think a 2 bedroom would work for us. I need my space. LOL. My soon to be 2 year old is just getting out of the crib. So I wonder if I should bring my pack and play for her to sleep in. She is a wild sleeper and they do not sleep in the bed with me. Is there enough space in the room for something like that?

[DebQ5]

I will be traveling with Haven and Non-Haven people next July. My family will be in an Aft Haven Penthouse. My PCC booked my friends into an adjoining balcony cabin (around the corner) that has a door that can be opened in between. It is not a "Haven" cabin, and not an aft facing cabin, but at least when we want to our friends can come through and use our balcony (FYI the balconies are not open to each other). I believe I have been told that it's possible for the Butler to bring enough breakfast for everyone as well (and if so he/she will be tipped accordingly!). Just a thought unless you really like to be a little more "separate".

[RuthlessBoss]

I will be traveling with Haven and Non-Haven people next July. My family will be in an Aft Haven Penthouse. My PCC booked my friends into an adjoining balcony cabin (around the corner) that has a door that can be opened in between. It is not a "Haven" cabin, and not an aft facing cabin, but at least when we want to our friends can come through and use our balcony (FYI the balconies are not open to each other). I believe I have been told that it's possible for the Butler to bring enough breakfast for everyone as well (and if so he/she will be tipped accordingly!). Just a thought unless you really like to be a little more "separate".

 

I saw that exact layout on Getaway. I happened to score 12302 as a guarantee , last balcony on the side. The balcony was very long thanks to a structural slope. Anyhow, there was a connecting door to 12304, and the people allowed me to see it. The balcony was very big and had another cabin only on one side of it.

[Toya1228]

Thanks DebQ5 for the info. I called NCL and they said that the room next to mine is sold so I will just have to deal with it. I wonder if my parents can still order room service on the nights they watch the kids in my room. I was reading online that the Haven rooms have a DVD player and my kids would love to be able to watch the cartoons they like. I guess worst case in that situation would be that my parents order room service in their room and just bring it over to mine. Either way I am hoping to have a great vacation (have not had one in 4 years) thanks everyone for your suggestions

[mmargaretg]

Thanks so much for the suggestions. I am hoping that my parents can come with us but if not maybe they will be in the next boarding group. I don't think a 2 bedroom would work for us. I need my space. LOL. My soon to be 2 year old is just getting out of the crib. So I wonder if I should bring my pack and play for her to sleep in. She is a wild sleeper and they do not sleep in the bed with me. Is there enough space in the room for something like that?

 

You can request a pack and play or mini crib. Call the pre-cruise Haven concierge ahead of time. They can give you the measurements. We used one when our littlest was 2 but we were on the Pearl and in a different cabin. They just had regular sheets, so you might want to bring your own sheet and at least a blanket. If it seems too big, you can request it's removal. Someone suggested moving it to the balcony during the day which might work well in your suite. You can always ask about the room service for the grandparents.

 

Have a wonderful trip!