breakaway expenses, what am i forgetting?

[luckyinpa]

thinking about november haven spa suite on the NCL breakaway with 2 people

 

some of these are estimates of course:

 

room cost (almost 5K)

 

parking NYC 300 ish (it will be this or someone driving me up. i wont park anywhere else)

 

insurance 400 to 500 (NCL seems like decent cancel policy for future credit while other policies seem to limit you to 50% cash back)

 

tips (wont even try to estimate and i see threads on it but i'm assuming 100 is a safe minimum)

 

passport 135 (in case we have to fly home)

 

haven includes the drink pak, 1 gig internet, 4 specialty dining, 50/port credit so i doubt we'd do more than that for specialty dining

 

prepaid service charge (i did a fake booking to confirm this) 217

 

fees for any excursions above the 50 credit we get

 

 

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i know everyones personal needs are different and i see there's a new cruisers list of what to pack so ill take a peek at that then, just trying to get a feel for any 'fixed costs' of the big stuff, so to speak, like the ones i've mentioned above. not stuff like all the new clothes we may need etc.

 

however if you want to toss in a 'oh dont forget potato chips clips' type of suggestion, i'm all ears!

 

i really try to research things and think i have all the major costs figured out. but let me know i just hate surprises.

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breakaway haven spa suite is what i'm asking most of my questions about. please feel free to send me any info you can think of regarding these rooms or the ship in general

[JustAllie]

The Svedka Ice Bar. $20 for two very chilly drinks and a parka. :D

[luckyinpa]

i saw the video of that and while it did look neat, it wasnt like the other ice bars ive seen videos of. (bar stools etc). that would have to be a last minute decision when i'm on board.

 

i look forward to a full review when you are back from your cruise :)

 

i'm assuming you've done the research on royal out of baltimore and decided its worth it to drive to NYC given your history.

 

signed,

NP

[JustAllie]

i saw the video of that and while it did look neat, it wasnt like the other ice bars ive seen videos of. (bar stools etc). that would have to be a last minute decision when i'm on board.

 

i look forward to a full review when you are back from your cruise :)

 

i'm assuming you've done the research on royal out of baltimore and decided its worth it to drive to NYC given your history.

 

signed,

NP

My best friend is a total Norwegian loyalist, so no, we didn't even look at other cruise lines. My friend loves the "freestyle" dining on NCL. I may try to convince her to try Royal Caribbean sometime.

[luckyinpa]

besides being relatively cheap, i do like the freestyle idea of things. i definitely wouldnt want the same table/people for 7 nites, i prefer to try a bigger variety of things.

 

the grand suites on the grandeur out of baltimore seem to be a decent size but i went with the breakaway for my 1st cruise.

[jessyka182]

Parking at the cruise terminal is 280. They don't take reservations and its first come first serve. There are a few other garages in that area that all run 320 or more. Unless you book and pay in advance.

 

As far as the gratuities are concerned ours was 182 for 2 people for a 7 day. We chose to prepay those when we booked.

 

We got the unlimited dining which only covers 4 specialty restaurants... Sooo that's not really unlimited. But whatever. It was a bonus. We also got the unlimited beverage package. We also got 100 in casino cash. And we booked and prepaid our excursions. I hold off on the internet package because they last 2 times I sailed they ran deals on the 1st at sea day. Plus I really don't want to be using the Internet that much on vacation.

 

Hope some of this was at least helpful. Oh and if you aren't in a haven suite, and you don't like crowds I would consider buying a spa pass for their private "pool".

[luckyinpa]

I do have a haven spa suite so i'm fortunate there. what is the right time to get the terminal to get a spot. I have pictures of the arrivals all leaving at the same time i'm trying to get in if i'm too early. also I hear there's a haven lounge we can sit in to wait .

 

still seeing how much friend/car service is from home but likely will wind up doing the 280.

[acharris1]

Do you remember what the unlimited internet package special was the first day?

[jessyka182]

I usually make sure I am parked no later than 10. But this year when you do your online check in they will assign you a time slot. My check in time for my upcoming is 10. So I will park around 9 or 930. Spend time unpacking the car and rolling down the steps and elevator to the actual entrance. I am not sure where you are coming from but I know car service from Long Island to the pier was over 100 each way. And that was only a 36 mile drive.

 

As far as the internet package it depends on the length of the cruise. I will see if I can find my last bill for an exact dollar amount but i do remember it being under 100 bucks and we would watch our doggie cam and call the dog sitter at least 3 times per day and we still had unused minutes

 

 

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[luckyinpa]

I usually make sure I am parked no later than 10. But this year when you do your online check in they will assign you a time slot. My check in time for my upcoming is 10. So I will park around 9 or 930. Spend time unpacking the car and rolling down the steps and elevator to the actual entrance. I am not sure where you are coming from but I know car service from Long Island to the pier was over 100 each way. And that was only a 36 mile drive.

 

As far as the internet package it depends on the length of the cruise. I will see if I can find my last bill for an exact dollar amount but i do remember it being under 100 bucks and we would watch our doggie cam and call the dog sitter at least 3 times per day and we still had unused minutes

 

 

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i am curious about the arrival times and parking at the pier. i envision chaos as those getting off the ship may not have driven away yet while early arrivals cannot find a spot. or is the lot big enough that no worries?

[Suenelsen]

Being that you are looking at a Haven suite you will also be able to eat at the Haven Restaurant as well .... New menus and looks pretty good

 

You might want to consider adding a bit more for tips as you will have a Butler as well as Concierge

Edited March 7, 2016 by Suenelsen

[jessyka182]

i am curious about the arrival times and parking at the pier. i envision chaos as those getting off the ship may not have driven away yet while early arrivals cannot find a spot. or is the lot big enough that no worries?

 

 

I have never had a problem parking at 930. That being said I am usually one of the first people off the ship when we get back. Also I think the lot is big enough as most people don't want to pay to park there.

 

 

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[HowardK]

i keep a spreadsheet myself- here are some small misc. items I keep on mine in case I allocate them.

 

-One thing I do is come up with an amount of cash that I bring ( I typically use that for tips, my bus and/or cab fares, perhaps misc. off the boat meals).

 

Here are just some random things I did on my last Breakaway cruises- I know its quite possible they might not apply to you.

 

-A few times I got iced coffees in the atrium; I did get some hats/shirts at the end of the cruise.

 

- I skipped excursions last time as I did that route- but instead did bingo a few times- it was more social and entertainment- I rarely win.

 

-without me prying I usually start out with $400 in cash but note when I go from NYC I am paying $40 to greyhound, perhaps a few cabs totalling $30 more. Not sure if you want to have $200-$300 in cash on you- note I always kept it in my safe.

 

In terms of parking for the week- I took transportation to NYC on Saturday and stayed in NYC overnight. Not sure if that is something you were considering.

 

All in all though, I think your budget list includes everything as far as I am concerned.

 

What excursions would you have- would any of those need extra cash for things?

[luckyinpa]

i havent even really started my bermuda research but i'm definitely not paying 300 for a dolphin swim. i dont think....

 

we are the more 'happy to spend 20 bucks for a museum for a few hours' type of people. though i admit something like parasailing would be cool but i know $$$

 

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i'm glad to hear about the terminal being good for parking availability. i need to price car service from home to compare. staying overnight is not an option.

[luvtheships]

i am curious about the arrival times and parking at the pier. i envision chaos as those getting off the ship may not have driven away yet while early arrivals cannot find a spot. or is the lot big enough that no worries?

 

 

You will be surprised how easy and smooth the parking works. We usually arrive between 9:30 and 10:00. No issues at all

[Sizzlechest]

i havent even really started my bermuda research but i'm definitely not paying 300 for a dolphin swim. i dont think....

 

we are the more 'happy to spend 20 bucks for a museum for a few hours' type of people. though i admit something like parasailing would be cool but i know $$$

 

Here's what I did last time in Bermuda:

 

 

1. Take ferry to St. George. Walked around for about an hour to see the sights.
   
2. Take bus to Caves. Did that.
   
3. Back on bus to Aquarium. Did that.
   
4. Take bus to Hamilton. Check out Hamilton. Take ferry back to port.
   

Very inexpensive. Cost about a third of doing it through cruise line. Everyone takes credit cards and American cash. Buses, ferry, and taxis are all regulated and reliable. Fare for ferry/bus can be purchased as soon as you get off the ship.