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ROLL CALL R Family July 2005


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Ok kids, here come my friend Terence and I for the cruise! And for the guy concerned about his past trans-atlantic cruises aging him, fear not, I'm 50 in February and my first cruises were on the original Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth when I was 4 yrs old to meet my British Family!

 

We're excited about this year's cruise and that it's a taxi ride away from our respective apartments. If anyone is from out of town (outside of NYC) and needs info if they're coming beforehand, let me know. I'm happy to answer any questions. The obvious Broadway play to see beforehand would be Hairspray to get the vacation kicked off in the right direction, that, or Wicked.

 

OK fellow 7/10 NCL Dawn cruisers! Let me add a few comments on NCL.

I'm a latitudes guy (meaning I've sailed with them before). Don't expect great food, expect however decent cabins (especially balconies are fun if you're lucky enough to have one), decent crew and a generally pleasant atmosphere. NCL is not known for its food, unless you're paying the premium in the Bistro or other premium restaurant. They're known for not being tied to a specific table with specific people, which is good and bad. Good is it's flexible, bad is you don't have the intimate experience of getting to know wait staff and forging those relationships, unless you chose the same table every night.

 

Best to all.

Stu

 

Queen Mary, June, 1960 (trans-atlantic)

Queen Elizabeth, August, 1960 (trans-atlantic)

RCCL Majesty of the Seas, Nov, 2000 (Bahamas)

NCL Dream, Nov, 2001 (trans Med, Istanbul - Barcelona)

NCL Sun, April, 2003 (Western Caribbean)

NCL Dawn, July, 2005 (New England/Canada)

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Hi Stu,

Glad to hear you are joining the cruise. We had a great time last year. Boy, your statement about the food was so true. We aren't returning because of the food but we did enjoy the company.

Last year we always got the same table the main dinning area was pretty bare. More people with kids were at the buffet. We have cruised alot last year was our first time on NCL had a cruise scheduled 3 years ago but had to cancel do to death in family, yes trip insurance is manditory we used it and it was a cruise in Europe so saved my butt on that one.

Dress on Rosies cruise is casual, formal only if you want to. Shorts, jeans ect is okay in dinning area. The first couplke of nights the crew wasn't real happy but they got over it. Rosie bought the ship for the week so we could be casual. They were taking formal pictures on formal nights. Saw most people dress for photo and then changed. I have more than enough cruise pictures.

I think the ship maybe closier to capacity this time so seating maybe hardier to come by.

It must be nice to be so close to port. We are coming in from Chicago. Coming in the day of the cruise.

If you have any other questions just ask.

Again welcome aboard!!

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Hi Bev,

 

They still have formal nights? For those who decide to dress, how formal? I generally like to make an effort but these days, with a kid who requires 4 changes of clothes each day, I'm not sure I could face the packing. As long as my clothes are free of apple sauce, I'm ahead of the game!

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A friend who was on last year's cruise as a working member of crew advised me that it was 50% full last year. It made it very very easy. We shouldn't expect the same thing this year. The cruise is 85% full already so we should brace ourselves for longer lines and a bit of hassle.

 

Having said that the ship has about a 1-2 ratio of staff to passengers, a very good number. Dinner will probably be tough at time getting in the main dining at the time you may wish. I know on other NCL ships you can book a table of 6 or more ahead of time during peak periods. It maybe worth either making friends if your party is less than 6 and booking a table.

 

I'm glad it's informal throughout. I can bring my tux, etc but would prefer to live in khaki's and jeans for the trip. I know that Martha's VIneyard is a tender port, is Provincetown also? I would think so.

 

For those that haven't tendered before that can be tough if the sea is a bit wavy. With kids it can be a bit tricky but the crew is very very experienced and safety conscious.

 

See you all on the 10th of July! Now to the gym!!!

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Found the answer on the NCL board. Sounds like too much trouble and a little over the top. But, oh boy, if you want see people get all hot and bothered, just mention babies and swim diapers over there!!!

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Yes...they do get quite worked up! What I don't understand is why it's okay to take little ones in swim diapers to the community pool, but somehow it's different on a cruise? Don't they chlorinate the pools onboard?

 

Our kids have taken swimming lessons since they were infants (as do many, many children here) and I have not once heard of any illnesses associated with our town's swimming pool.

 

I just don't understand why people are so upset about this.

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Oh, that makes more sense. We've only sailed Princess so far, and they have fresh water pools complete with chlorine. Are the hot tubs sea water as well? It would seem that those would need special treatment since they are kept at prime "incubation" temperature.

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To change the subject...

For those of you that were on the RFamily cruise last year -

Normally on NCL cruises they state on the documents a boarding time that is not necessarily accurate. In other words, the docs will say 1pm, but in reality, people are allowed to board once the previous cruisers have all disembarked...often a couple of hours earlier that stated. So, my question is - was this also the case last year on the RFamily cruise? We've cruised with Olivia before, and found that the boarding time is actually later than the regular cruises, because the Olivia people need time to get things in place before they let passengers on.

 

So, what time should we show up at the terminal? Thanks!

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Well, boarding is hit and miss, depending upon ship arrival in the morning and what needs to be cleaned up. My NCL experience is that they try to board as soon as they can. Having said that, you never know.

 

Has anyone/everyone received their documents yet? I was told the first week of June but haven't received anything yet.

Stu

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Hi Stu,

No DOC's yet for us. They came only about 2 weeks before the cruise last year. It is good to fill out all the paperwork ahead of time, makes things move fastier through the lines.

Last year they started boarding at 1P.M. sharp. Alot of cabins where not done yet but they still let us board.

While waiting to board they had entertainment for the kids. Clowns, music and balloons. Its seems like everyone came early so lines were very long.

I can't believe it is less than a month away. It is hard to wait when you book so far in advance. We booked this on last years cruise.

I'll let you know when DOC's get here.

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How fun James...you'll already know your neighbor! We're getting excited here too.

Talked to NCL today about the reservation numbers not working with their online registration, and they said that everything should be fixed by Monday.
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  • 3 weeks later...
Hi! I'm Margaret, one of the event staff for R Family Vacations, and I was talking this morning to one of our passengers who said I should take a peek at this site. I'm not sure if anyone is still following this discussion, so I won't go into too much detail, but I'm happy to answer question...just let me know.

A couple of answers to questions that have been raised here. No, there is no designated "formal" night. Instead we have three theme nights, with the "Hollywood" night being the most dressy, and any formal wear you want to wear would certainly fit in on this night.

Also, we do plan to board around 3pm, as stated in the cruise documents. Because we are chartering the ship, the R Family staff will need a couple of hours onboard to add our own special touches! So, don't knock yourselves out getting to the pier too early. We promise, though, that once onboard, you will have a fantastic vacation!

Let me know if you have any specific question!

Margaret
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  • 2 weeks later...
What a trip, didn't want it to end.
This was the best cruise I have ever had. 100% improved over last year.
Embarking was painless less than 30 minutes from start to stateroom.
Dinning was much better, they have a new CEO and food really improved over last year.
Entertainment was the greatest. Kelli and Greg have a job ahead of them to top this years cruise next year. Already booked for next year.
Giveaways unreal, my girlfriend won an ipod.
People who are concerned about the kids it was no problem with 600 plus of very well behaved children.
It's going to be a long year to wait. Hope to see everyone on the next cruise.
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