First cruise on NCL...booked on Getaway Feb 2018 and have questions!!! :)

[crazyboutdisney]

This will be out first cruise w NCL, we have sailed with Carnival, and I am really excited to experience something new! I am reading everything I can because I am not familiar w NCL! So I have a few questions to start with. I competed the online check in and it says I will be notified when my edocuments are ready. Approximately when does this happen?

What is embarkation like? In the last year or so carnival switched to a system where you choose your port terminal check in time and you aren't allowed into the port until that time. Does NCL do something similar??

What is this Vibe I keep reading about and do we really need it?

We are booked through a travel type agency as part of a 5 O'clock Somewhere cruise and all I really know is it includes the drink package. This is exciting to me as we have never had drinks included!

Thank you for any information you can give me, anthing beyond my questions that you might think is important :) I am on unfamiliar grounds and I am a planner so....I need info! Lol

[BirdTravels]

This will be out first cruise w NCL, we have sailed with Carnival, and I am really excited to experience something new!

Welcome to the NCL family!

I am reading everything I can because I am not familiar w NCL! So I have a few questions to start with. I competed the online check in and it says I will be notified when my edocuments are ready. Approximately when does this happen?

Around 50 days prior to cruise. You will get your boarding pass and luggage tags (to print and attach you your bags)

What is embarkation like? In the last year or so carnival switched to a system where you choose your port terminal check in time and you aren't allowed into the port until that time. Does NCL do something similar??

When you did your check-in, the system would ask you for a port arrival time, if needed. Right now, it is a suggested time to minimize congestion. NCL will board out of Terminal B and C. Your eDocs will tell you which terminal you should go to (even decks at one terminal, odd decks at the other). General boarding starts at 11:30. Show up around 10:15 to minimize wait time.

What is this Vibe I keep reading about and do we really need it?

Less than 100 passes to a private sundeck are sold (4500 people on your ship). So very few people will get passes. As a first time cruiser, you have no priority to board (i.e., you are in general boarding unless you are in the Havens). So there is even a smaller possibility that you will get a pass. Ignore the Vibe. Enjoy the ship.

We are booked through a travel type agency as part of a 5 O'clock Somewhere cruise and all I really know is it includes the drink package. This is exciting to me as we have never had drinks included!

So,,,, the secret to the drinks package is (1) order drinks that you would never order at a bar at home; (2) don't get stuck on ordering bottles of beer, go down the drinks menu and try something special (3) all of your drinks don't have to have alcohol (WHAT????), you can order virgin frozen drinks

Thank you for any information you can give me, anthing beyond my questions that you might think is important :) I am on unfamiliar grounds and I am a planner so....I need info! Lol

If you are doing any specialty dining (extra charge restaurants), reservations open exactly 90 days prior to your cruise online (100 days if you in the Havens). Strongly recommended that you book exactly 90 days out. Prime time dining will sell out prior to your cruise. NCL holds seats for onboard booking, but those will sell out quickly during prime time. The most popular restaurants are Teppanyaki and Cagney's steak house.

 

You can also book the two main theater shows 90 days out. Again, strongly recommended that you book your mains shows in advance.

 

Also consider the (extra fee) Cirque dinner show. It is brand new on the Getaway.

[crazyboutdisney]

Thank you! When I did online check in it didn't ask anything about the port. So I am guessing it's similar to how carnival used to be where they suggest you arrive at a time and everyone comes earlier?? Lol We will plan for a 10am arrival. :)

I don't believe we are doing any specialty dining but I do want to see the shows so I will have to set a reminder for 90 days out.

Thank you again!

[Travel R]

We just returned from our first NCL cruise.

 

I agree with all of the above answers above.

 

Additional info, that I found of interest as a first time NCL'er.

- Although you have signed up or a show, it does not guarantee good seats - arrive 20-30 minutes before the show begins.

- There are other entertainment choices that cannot be booked until the day of your cruise (e.g., Escape the Big Top (it was fun), comedy shows, misc. performers, etc.) - Unless you do not mind waiting on standby, go to ticket office the afternoon you arrive on the ship.

- As mentioned above, Cirque Steam and Dreams incurs an up-charge, but the show was worth it. The meal is standard (steak & shrimp - or you can chose a vegetarian option) - it is not the best steak you will have ever eaten, but it was not bad at all.

- Million Dollar Quartet is one of the best shows I had ever seen on a cruise ship - seriously.

- Boarding for us was very, very quick. We did self-assist upon leaving, which was a breeze as well.

- When boarding take notice of all the various options available for lunch besides the buffet. We chose O'Sheehans and were happy about our choice.

- If scheduling and making plans is not in your blood, you can go without making any reservations at all - however, it may mean that you will not be able to eat at the venue of your choice that night (or you will have to wait), and you will have to get into entertainment venues on stand by. [i could not do that - I reserved/scheduled everything; but I just wanted to put it out there.]

- Howl at the Moon cannot be reserved, but never had an issue finding a seat after 10 PM. Give it a try - we enjoyed it.

- You said you were a Carnival cruiser - so just an FYI - on NCL you will find the towel animals on your bed almost every night, and not mingling together in the pool area.

- Bonus tip: Take an old credit card to use to access the electricity in the room (instead of using your room key).

 

I am currently writing a (very detailed) review of our experiences on our recent NCL cruise (see link in my signature). Feel free to ask any questions you might have.

[Cuizer2]

This will be out first cruise w NCL, we have sailed with Carnival, and I am really excited to experience something new! I am reading everything I can because I am not familiar w NCL! So I have a few questions to start with. I competed the online check in and it says I will be notified when my edocuments are ready. Approximately when does this happen?

What is embarkation like? In the last year or so carnival switched to a system where you choose your port terminal check in time and you aren't allowed into the port until that time. Does NCL do something similar??

What is this Vibe I keep reading about and do we really need it?

We are booked through a travel type agency as part of a 5 O'clock Somewhere cruise and all I really know is it includes the drink package. This is exciting to me as we have never had drinks included!

Thank you for any information you can give me, anthing beyond my questions that you might think is important :) I am on unfamiliar grounds and I am a planner so....I need info! Lol

 

I have cruised with Carnival eleven times and with NCL three times. I write long detailed reviews, which hopefully will give you an idea of what a NCL cruise is like. Unfortunately I only have links to my last two NCL cruises, and both were in suites (my first and next NCL cruise is in a regular balcony cabin) and both involve the Panama Canal (the first one doesn't have pictures, the second one has a ton of pictures) ...

 

NCL Jade (Feb 2008) - http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=728733

 

NCL Pearl (Dec 2016) - http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2439655

[RebelAthena]

This will be out first cruise w NCL, we have sailed with Carnival, and I am really excited to experience something new! I am reading everything I can because I am not familiar w NCL! So I have a few questions to start with. I competed the online check in and it says I will be notified when my edocuments are ready. Approximately when does this happen?

What is embarkation like? In the last year or so carnival switched to a system where you choose your port terminal check in time and you aren't allowed into the port until that time. Does NCL do something similar??

What is this Vibe I keep reading about and do we really need it?

We are booked through a travel type agency as part of a 5 O'clock Somewhere cruise and all I really know is it includes the drink package. This is exciting to me as we have never had drinks included!

Thank you for any information you can give me, anthing beyond my questions that you might think is important :) I am on unfamiliar grounds and I am a planner so....I need info! Lol

 

 

I sail the week before you! I am following this thread!

[crazyboutdisney]

Thank you both for your responses and I will check out your reviews!!So NCL boarding is similar to how Carnival used to do it correct? What time do they start the check in process?

[pe4all]

For the past few years we have been switching between Carnival (cruise #22 coming up in February) and NCL. (cruise #6 coming up in August) We find we love the differences between the two lines, though there are many similarities also.

-Make sure you try O'Sheehans pub. Open 24/7 for breakfast, lunch, dinner. Good pub food!

- We love Howl at the Moon dueling piano bar. So much fun. Totally different than CCL's piano bar.

- If you have the dining plan or want to eat at one of the specialty restuarants I suggest you make a reservation when your 90 day period opens for booking. On the "larger" NCL ships the times close out quickly, and you may be stuck eating very late - like 9 pm at night!

- Vibe is a "private" area with padded loungers, 2 hottubs, bar area. We have gotten Vibe passes

($99 pp for the week) on the ships that have that area. The pools are small, and loungers are

sometimes hard to get - just like CCL - so depending on your itinerary, and how much you would

actually use the Vibe area, it may not be worth it. When we sail on Epic in a few weeks we will not

try to get Posh passes (same as Vibe, just different ship/name) cause we will be off the ship so much and there is only one sea day on our Med. itinerary)

- there is also Spice H20, which is a "free" adult area in the aft of the ship - much like Serenity on

Carnival.

- try to catch some shows - you will find them quite different than Carnival. Cirque is good, as is

Million Dollar Quartet.

- dress code is less formal than Carnival! No elegant nights.

 

My best advice - read, read, read and learn, learn, learn. Go with an open mind. Don't let the little glitches you may encounter bother you. We realized we love free-style cruising and the differences between the 2 lines.

[Happy Retirees!]

This will be out first cruise w NCL, we have sailed with Carnival, and I am really excited to experience something new! I am reading everything I can because I am not familiar w NCL! So I have a few questions to start with. I competed the online check in and it says I will be notified when my edocuments are ready. Approximately when does this happen?

What is embarkation like? In the last year or so carnival switched to a system where you choose your port terminal check in time and you aren't allowed into the port until that time. Does NCL do something similar??

What is this Vibe I keep reading about and do we really need it?

We are booked through a travel type agency as part of a 5 O'clock Somewhere cruise and all I really know is it includes the drink package. This is exciting to me as we have never had drinks included!

Thank you for any information you can give me, anthing beyond my questions that you might think is important :) I am on unfamiliar grounds and I am a planner so....I need info! Lol

 

If you order any of the dinner packages you should be prepared to get your reservations in on exactly the 90 day mark. We are going on a transatlantic cruise on Getaway in Oct. At midnight of the 90th day, I did all my reservations, for dinners, entertainment, etc. Got all the times I wanted. When I checked later in the day there were few times left to reserve.

[crazyboutdisney]

We are not doing any dining packages. We are just doing what comes w the cruise, I believe. Which is buffet and main dining room correct?? We never do any of the premium dining on CCL either.

I am excited to try Howl at the Moon. We enjoy dualing pianos and other than Ben, we really haven't found anyone on CCL we like in the piano bar.

So booking shows right at 90 days is a must also??

[pe4all]

So booking shows right at 90 days is a must also??

I would. You can always try to get on the standby line for Quartet before the show, but it is hit or miss if you will get in. When we cruised on Getaway we were able to book the comedy shows 90 days out also - I don't know if that is still an option. Go online to your booking at 90 days and see what options are open to book. We are planners - even on free-style cruises!!

[Travel R]

I would. You can always try to get on the standby line for Quartet before the show, but it is hit or miss if you will get in. When we cruised on Getaway we were able to book the comedy shows 90 days out also - I don't know if that is still an option. Go online to your booking at 90 days and see what options are open to book. We are planners - even on free-style cruises!!

 

Note: On the current itinerary for the Getaway the comedy shows were unable to be booked 90 days out - but need to be booked at the ticket office once on board. Also note that we did not go to the ticket booth early in the day, but waited for the evening and most of the comedy shows were already fully booked.

[mncruiser84]

Which February sailing are you on? We sail the getaway Feb 4th.

 

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[crazyboutdisney]

Which February sailing are you on? We sail the getaway Feb 4th.

 

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We sail on the 11th.

 

 

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[KarimaJ]

The Getaway was also our first NCL cruise, my 2 cents below.

 

What is embarkation like? In the last year or so carnival switched to a system where you choose your port terminal check in time and you aren't allowed into the port until that time. Does NCL do something similar??

We arrived at 11:15am and embarkation was easy. We waited outside for 10 minutes then in we went and pretty much got right on. .

What is this Vibe I keep reading about and do we really need it?

If you have kids, they cannot go into Vibe. We didn't get passes since there is no pool there. If they had a pool we may have considered it since the pool situation on Getaway is pretty dismal..

We are booked through a travel type agency as part of a 5 O'clock Somewhere cruise and all I really know is it includes the drink package. This is exciting to me as we have never had drinks included!

 

Thank you for any information you can give me, anthing beyond my questions that you might think is important I am on unfamiliar grounds and I am a planner so....I need info! Lol

[SoCA6ft5]

We are not doing any dining packages. We are just doing what comes w the cruise, I believe. Which is buffet and main dining room correct?? We never do any of the premium dining on CCL either.

I am excited to try Howl at the Moon. We enjoy dualing pianos and other than Ben, we really haven't found anyone on CCL we like in the piano bar.

So booking shows right at 90 days is a must also??

You have a nice choice of "complimentary" dining rooms. Rather than one MDR, you have three to choose from. Taste and Savor are located opposite each other on deck 6, and the Tropicana Room aft on deck 7. They all share the same menu, Tropicana is more lively with live music during dinner.

 

Also "complimentary" are O'Sheehan's on deck 7 forward is open 24 hours and has pub/comfort food - burgers, fish & chips, hot dogs, salads, etc.; Shanghai Noodle Bar on deck 7 aft; and the Garden Court Buffet.

 

Throughout the ship look for video touchscreens. You can use them to display the approximate wait-time at each of the restaurants on-board. Make sure you download the Norwegian iConcierge app before you board. Once on-board you can use it to book reservations.

[shamrock58]

Thank you! When I did online check in it didn't ask anything about the port. So I am guessing it's similar to how carnival used to be where they suggest you arrive at a time and everyone comes earlier?? Lol We will plan for a 10am arrival. :)

I don't believe we are doing any specialty dining but I do want to see the shows so I will have to set a reminder for 90 days out.

Thank you again!

I have read that the Cirque show has been replaced by an Escape Room. I am assuming you need to book this in advance as well.

[Sauer-kraut]

I have read that the Cirque show has been replaced by an Escape Room. I am assuming you need to book this in advance as well.

The escape room is an activity that has not replaced the show. You can book on board.

[Lupush]

I sail the week before you! I am following this thread!

Me too!

[thegoodlife247]

Can you reserve the comedy shows with I concierge app once on board or do you have to go to the ticket office?

 

 

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[RebelAthena]

Which February sailing are you on? We sail the getaway Feb 4th.

 

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So am I! I'm in an aft cabin!

[RebelAthena]

The escape room is an activity that has not replaced the show. You can book on board.

 

Oh, good! I was looking forward to the show!

[Travel R]

The escape room is an activity that has not replaced the show. You can book on board.

 

I think the confusion is that they both occur in the same venue (the Illusionarium).

 

Obviously they do not occur at the same time.

[Cuizer2]

I think the confusion is that they both occur in the same venue (the Illusionarium).

 

Obviously they do not occur at the same time.

 

What if someone wants to escape from the show?

[Highpeaklad]

What if someone wants to escape from the show?

 

Some truth in that. The doors looked very "closed" when I needed to find the toilet, and I saw someone give up trying to get out, but yes the doors were unlocked and the toilet was found.