rmurray847

This is what my wife and I usually do. Try them both early on, and see what we like. We tend to lean towards the "fancier" locale that's AFT because it's just a bit more luxurious feeling. And on sea days, you should be able to enjoy both lunch and breakfast there as well. We vastly prefer that option for breakfast compared to buffet.

If itinerary makes no difference to you (it's a BIG differentiator for us when we are deciding on a cruise), then first of all, I'd say: #1 7 days beats 6 days #2 The NCL ships are more similar than different in terms of layout. ENCORE is newer, and in my opinion, slightly superior. But I think either is a very solid choice.

This must be brand new, as I've done NCL cruises on numerous ships in relatively recent years, and the only "reservations required" shows have been the upcharge shows that include dinner. Even the "Broadway" shows (like JERSEY BOYS on the Bliss) did not take reservations.

Agreed. Actually, I'm often surprised at how ill-prepared many people are for their cruise vacations. Maybe I'm TOO much of a planner...but I see people posting things like "My family and I are on our first cruise in 3 days, and we really have no idea what to expect. Will they give us food or should we bring our own? Are we allowed to bring luggage on board, and if so, can I bring my propane fired gas grill to put on our balcony in case I want to make hamburgers?" Slightly exaggerated example, of course. But people are often ill-prepared and I think boards like this (which are GREAT, by the way) give us this idea that every person is incredibly on the ball about everything, and if we miss one little nuance, we're totally screwed. I hate missing those nuances, myself...but then when I get on board, I see how very lost and clueless so many are. Yet, they are also obviously having a great time. So I think having to complete your check in at the port is pretty minor!

LA traffic varies wildly, of course, but you should expect roughly 35-40 minutes getting to LAX from port. BUT, I also advise erring on the side of caution, which, if all goes well, should give you time to spend in the Delta lounge. And if traffic IS snarled, you should at least get on your flight with no issues.

This was my thought about her as well. Trying to hard...forced laughter and energy. Now, having said that, the CD job is very difficult when you think about it. They have to be having the time of their lives ALL the time, even if they are completely worn out. And when they give a lot of energy, but the passengers just don't reciprocate (which does happen, for sure), then the desperation level goes up. I try to appreciate how hard their job is, even when a bit grating, like Mey. Re: the comments on SHOWGIRL. There were no big production issues like the OP described with their experience when we saw it in April. These are NOT the team that does the things like the sail-away party or the 80's theme party...those are Assistant Cruise Directors. The SHOW GIRL team, whether you think they were good or not, ARE, in fact, professional entertainers who do not take part in the "party" events, although sometimes they do individual performances like at the clubs or piano bars.

If time doesn't matter (16 days vs 7), then I recommend the Breakaway. I understand the desire to sail on a new ship, but we did a TA on the Breakaway in 2018, and it was great. Different itinerary that you would have, but having all those days at sea and then all those European stops makes it feel like you're on two cruises...a relaxing, chill-out cruise and an action-packed, seeing-amazing-new-things cruise. And the ship, while certainly older than the Prima, is not exactly decrepit. It's not perfect (having all the game shows in the Atrium is not the greatest...the theater isn't as elegant as on the smaller ships), but it offers a lot. We had 5 days in a row at sea, and enjoyed the heck out of every one. One note: the weather may not always be the greatest. We had two days in a row where waves were rough enough to cause the outdoor areas to all be closed. We also had two splendid days where we could sunbathe during the day, and party outside in Spice H20 in the evenings. So if you're all about sitting outside by the pool all the time, set your expectations to "be flexible."

Ha, that's funny. This will NOT be a problem. I've never really seen that on any cruise of 7 days or longer. Yes, a few people over-indulge...of all kinds. Overall, though, everyone is pretty darn friendly...everyone is on vacation afterall. If people could learn to show some elevator etiquette, that would be great...but I would say your husband should NOT worry.

We've done 6 cruises each on NCL and Royal. We like them both. In my opinion, Royal has better BIG ships (Oasis) class compared to Breakaway class. The theaters on the big NCL ships are too small and don't have the grand feeling (frankly, even the grand feeling of their smaller ships). The atrium area being the "home" for all the game shows and such does not work well, IMO. It feels like an afterthought. When it comes to smaller ships, NCL is better. Our first two cruises were on the Jade and then on RCCL's Serenade. Jade wins hands-down, although Serenade is nice too. The Great Outdoors dining space on smaller NCL ships is our favorite spot. On the other hand, NCL has better entertainment overall. And I love O'Sheehan's (or whatever they now call their 24 hr restaurant. It is so awesome to stop by there at 1am for a sit-down, late night snack).