nimbex1970

Norweigan Viva Transatlantic from San Jan to Lisbon April 7th This was our first Transatlantic voyage. My husband Rick 62 and I 54 have 21 prior cruises and this is our second NCL. Our crazy goal was to relax with 14 ports and a ship that offered almost everything. While still recovering from Jet lag, wanted to share our thoughts/experiences from a 19-night Viva sail! This was our second NCL, the first being the sky (we fell in love with NCL on that little ship). We took the NCL flights and everything went perfectly. We traveled from Anchorage to San Juan with zero issues and all our luggage. Returned from Lisbon Portugal with zero issues as well. Leaving our little village in Alaska: 1. UNLIMITED ALCOHOL BEVERAGE PACKAGE (basic) - For those who are new to NCL, your room key card is what is used to purchase drinks. Many folks use lanyards, I use my husband's pockets. You are allowed to get two drinks at a time with one card, even if one is a double. Shots are allowed as well. If you choose a higher price than allowed, the difference is explained and you are given a receipt to sign (go expresso martini!). There is no difference in the excellent service if you pay for a drink or have the package. Depending on your package there is a discount for purchasing a bottle of wine. You can have them hold it or bring it back to your room, we did both. 2. DINING PACKAGE – Sorry RCL, but after several post covid cruises we weren’t pleased with the MDR food and paid for 7 nights of specialty restaurants with NCL. 19 nights were too many to risk a poor experience and I despise Buffet. Money well spent here. For those who are newer to NCL, when you attempt to book your specialty restaurants at home many of the dining times are “sold out”, so I was left with only 9pm options or tables for four. What an amazing surprise to be able to just walk up to a specialty restaurant and get right in. We did this for 5 of the 7 nights with no issues. Now this was a transatlantic, but we were almost a full sailing. Now we ate several nights in Hudson's MDR and loved it. To help folks understand why we would pay for an upcharge with already great free food, we live in a village in Alaska with NO restaurant for us it was worth it, and I mentioned we hated RCL’s food. For those who are curious about the menus I will share them below: (curtsy of freestyle travelers.com) A. Hasuki we went twice by walking up, no reservation needed; B. LOS LOBOS – Taste is subjective, and we didn’t care for anything here, especially with an upcharge fee, aside from the tableside guacamole. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/617ac6f28abd337ac8fc5f75/t/64f4a2505a63794fbec968f5/1693753937555/Los+Lobos+Menu+NCL+Prima.pdf C. LE BISTRO – Our second favorite, we went twice, once with reservations. This is the only dining venue where pants for the gentleman IS required, although not enforced for our two visits. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/617ac6f28abd337ac8fc5f75/t/65a555b2b3f3a427c7822961/1705334194925/Le+Bistro+Menu+-+Norwegian+Cruise+Line.pdf D. ONDA – Italian, our favorite, we went two times, both without reservations. E. PALAMOR – What a wonderful surprise, better than expected. If we had more time, would have eaten here more. The whole fish for two was sold out during our sail, and this is what fellow cruisers told us to order. The sea bass was perfect. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/617ac6f28abd337ac8fc5f75/t/65a5ad10e4d51b1f48e8e79d/1705356562420/Palomar+Menu+Norwegian+Cruise+Line.pdf F. THE LOCAL BAR AND GRILL – the menu, note that there is limited food available after 11pm. I admit to being a wing snob from Buffalo NY and found them stringy but tasty. The pizza bites were hard as stone. Then ordered a burger, no questions asked, and it was great! Wonderful alcoves to sit, swinging wicker chairs, a large screen TV viewing area, and an active and attentive bar staff here. No charge for food. We ended up here after oversleeping a dinner reservation at 9pm! https://static1.squarespace.com/static/617ac6f28abd337ac8fc5f75/t/65a5b96543d23822e7a5bc94/1705359727065/The+Local+Menu+Norwegian+Cruise+Line.pdf G. INDULGE FOOD HALL – OMG, a fellow hater of buffets thought, how do we provide multiple choices without lines or people touching other people's food, and here we are! Pure GUNIESS. We had breakfast and lunch here, breakfast IS a buffet, and lunch is ordered on the computer screen. Hint to others, find a seat before they open at 12:30, it gets packed, and seating is hard to find. Plus, if you sit at a counter, you can only order at said counter. We loved the gnocchi and the pulled pork platters were amazing. The wait staff delivers water to the table, and alcoholic drinks on the drink card are available as well, but not all choices are available. Note: when you select your items, there will be a screen with “select all to pay”, it comes out to zero. We were informed by fellow cruisers that a different menu is available for dinner, we never made it though. FYI, desserts are on your own with many varieties to choose from. H. BUFFET – This is not NCL-specific, I hate buffets. On RCL, at least folks are stationed spraying hands, “washy-washy”. Nope, not here. So my germaphobe self, touching all the handles from non-hand washers gives me a solid ick. Let's be clear, norovirus requires hand washing and Purell doesn’t touch it. So, I simply got my food at breakfast or lunch, went to wash my hands, and started eating, easy peasy for folks like me. The buffet food and desserts here are of much better taste and quality than RCL. I have learned through 21 cruises that all nationalities have different cultures with personal space, cutting in line, and grabbing food, so it’s no different here. (I did preface this with I hate buffets, but I enjoyed the options of food). Ok, that’s all I have for food, there are many other places to eat, those are our experiences. 4. Room, sorry no pictures, we had balcony 15136 and it was surprisingly excellent. But be warned, on regular sailings this may be one to avoid. It is right at the elevators right next to the adventure kids club. Because we were transatlantic, very few children were on board. Elevators busy? two flights of stairs up to deck 17, the main pool deck for a buffet and coffee. We were also VERY port intensive, so many folks went to bed at a decent hour and no late-night elevator people were hanging out and talking noise, again this was a unicorn sailing. We had the best room attendant; Milo and he didn’t understand our need to only have the room cleaned every three days (we reuse towels and keep it tidy). There is a fabulous pad to the right as you enter which controls the temperature, always cold and nice, and you can press do not disturb. The blackout curtains were excellent as we had a balcony. Great fridge, three closets for storage, and the bathroom sigh, wonderfully large with great storage as well. This was our favorite room in over 20 sailings. 5. SPA – Day one I made an apt. for a haircut and the 8-week keratin treatment. The only “hairstylist” in my village is known as the beauty school dropout, lol. Price was as quoted, great cut, no hard sell pressure for products, I was very pleased with it. The gratuity is auto-added, so check this if you are getting a spa service. There was a special offered to have daily access to all the spa pools, down to $20 a day pp! While this was a great price, it isn’t for us. I can’t promise they will do this on all sailings, but FYI. 6. VENUES - Syd Norman’s and the Improv at sea are tight for space as has been reported in many reviews. We stood in line for 30 minutes, only to be standing room only and left. These two rooms were used for other events, so keep your eyes on the Daily. We did not attempt either again as I’m not standing in line for comedy (which got fair to poor reviews by those we knew), or a music venue with so much else to do. The atrium bar on deck 8 is the whisky bar, right outside of Onada and it was always full and lively. The penrose atrium had music nightly with rotating music. Friends of Bill and karaoke are held at the Improv at Sea. We did not see the headliner show at the Viva Theater, Beetlejuice 7. CASINO – Well we are casino lovers, we have no gambling at home and spent many nights in the casino. The casino turnout was very poor and the pit boss explained that this is usual in long sailings. The craps table held a nightly “sale” of 5$ and we played some, it’s just boring without a larger group. I’m not a slots person, but lost 200$ in 15 minutes, so that was it for me. For smokers, like us, the smoking area is VERY small. The two tables are blackjack and three-card poker. There are only three video poker machines and maybe 24 slot machines. We played 3 card poker, my husband made sapphire status and we had three large wins which covered almost all our losses. Husband won a hand pay at Keno of all things and I hit 1300$ on video poker as well. The casino host sent chocolates, 2 bottles of champagne and 2K in future cruise credits for us. Some dealers made some basic payout mistakes, and they were caught immediately by the table manager. 8. PUBLIC BATHROOMS – I could not for the life of me figure out the bathroom system on this ship. Some areas had both men and women, while others had females on one side of the ship, and men on the other. However, the bathrooms were always spotlessly clean & no ques. 9. SMOKING – This is a very nonsmoking ship, which is the trend. Something to consider if you are a smoker. There is only deck 18 which requires climbing a set of stairs (a wheelchair accessibility lift was being added). On sea days, it’s so windy that it’s impossible to carry a cup of coffee without wearing it. The drink service here was excellent, we did tip extra. When the ship is refueling, the smoking area is closed, and you are obviously in port so the casino is closed. We were instructed to smoke in the cigar lounge (which normally does NOT allow cigarettes). Well, no one communicates refueling times to the staff at the next-door bar, so there were some verbal interactions with some guests and the bartender. Until the wheelchair lift is complete, those on scooters and such are told to smoke in the cigar lounge. It was not always a welcoming atmosphere from the cigar-smoking guests. Just food for thought and FYI, not starting a smoking debate. Finally, smokers who purchase the Vibe Beach Club, can’t smoke there, no refunds period. Buyer beware. 10. FEE FOR PLAY – It’s a great matter of debate, either being “nickeled and dimed”, or great, I don’t have to pay for activities I wouldn’t do. We did the Galaxy Pavilion virtual reality racing; it was about 7$pp. We loved it and have never done so before; didn’t know how taxing it was. There are staff there that set everything up and give a great explanation of how it all works. There was construction during our transatlantic on deck 18 so darts were closed. The putt-putt opened and was 10$pp and it was a hoot! The racetrack bar has been eliminated and there is a teen club being extended there. The racetrack had ample hours and few lines. Depending on the times posted and what you want to do, there is single and double riding for 25$pp. It’s a three-story racetrack and you can compete against others times which was confusing, since you didn’t have much control over your speed, still a fun event. 11. PORTS – Because this was a transatlantic repo and the spring one does not share the same itinerary aside from Cape Verde. I’ll post reviews in their specific areas on CC. I did want to mention Cape Verde, it's used for refueling and resupply after crossing the ocean. This was one of the poorest islands I have encountered. Yes, it was safe to walk around. Yes, when sitting outside a caffee beggars did put their hands in my face and left them there when I was trying to eat and cursed me out the entire time we sat outside. Yes, there are a plethora of stray dogs, strangely three-legged dogs. Yes, there is a 20-minute walk to town that observes a siesta with shops/restaurants closed. The market starts with brined fish with flies on them and fresh veggies (which we can’t take on the ship), but offers some really neat carvings, jewelry, and unusual items that weren’t found on our earlier or later stops. Follow the water into town, when you hit the fish market take the nearest street up away from the water. It’s that simple. 12. SUMMARY – We fell in love with NCL again on this ship, smoking issues aside (won’t do this ship again only for that reason but booked a Singapore to Tawain repo for next year. The service was impeccable, the staff amazing, the food excellent, and the theme of the ship is such a relaxing blue and beige that resonates throughout the ship into our stateroom. People hate the changes with Prima and Viva and I don’t have enough NCL experience to debate this, however, we are hooked on NCL. For our first transatlantic, we couldn’t have chosen better and had the best 19 days of our cruising experience. Thank you for reading. Random ship pictures, the few of them we have: The smoking area, aka, the back corner. Seriously, just the covered section for 3500 folks.

I am 22 days out and can't book shows on the site. My app is "on the blink", as always.

Went two days without luggage in Hawaii two months ago. It required receipts for clothes, about 4 weeks later we were reimbursed. I just filed one today from a cancelled Alaskan air flight. Fingers crossed no issues.

We had this booked/cancelled as well. Our air was booked through NCL, so can't help with that. We only got a 10% discount for the cancellation. We booked Singapore instead.

Did you book the air through NCL? Either way, please please consider trip insurance! We had one near miss, with a medical emergency on the flight which made us late (something you can't plan for but happens). We had to purchase the final connection out of pocket. Had no luggage for three days. These tight connections are a headache waiting to happen. food for thought.

the discounts are loaded on your room card. Sometimes a bartender needs to be reminded of this.

This first happened when I flew first class. I can't go back to a regular airline seat, not business or premium... solid first class. I have yet to catch the suite bug. We are booking 15 nighters plus exploring the other side of the globe. To book a suite, would decrease my at sea days (plus now I have that dang flight issue, cha chingy). Cheers to all the suite folks, may you be super spoiled every day on the ship!

Sorry, to add... mom has medicare and purchased the basic insurance through princess cruise line. They were so incredible that a nurse traveled with mom from New Brunswick to Toronto, then had rented a extra large vehicle for her comfort for the ride back to Buffalo. The nurse went all the way into moms home to ensure she was safe and comfortable. We purchase Allianz because of health reasons for full coverage in the event of a medivac. It covers all our land and sea trips including the flights. Because we travel 5 plus times a year, the price point is excellent for us. Something to consider if folks are looking.

This was not the experience that my mother had on a princess cruise. She fell and broke her hip in New Brunswick. The princess rep. emptied their cabin, provided all their documents as well as transported her companion from the hospital back to the ship to retrieve it all, then back to the hospital. The rep. followed up with mom through her surgery and stay and assisted in arranging her flight home to buffalo NY. They were always available with the claims for the remainder of the cruise, not the hospital insurance though (beyond their scope). Perhaps this was because it was in Canada, but that shouldn't matter at all. When you can, I would provide feedback to RCCL, as this representative fell short, IMHO based upon our experience with another line.

No worries, just take the last shuttle.

I'm one of those picky roast beef sandwich eaters. I asked for a specific cut for my sandwich and they were very accommodating. (I dislike any fat on mine). So don't hesitate to ask.

I am in agreement with the OP. My WOS cruise in May was dismal in the MDR. I ate pizza and room service after dinner for a few days, then had enough and paid for the specialty restaurants for the family. Now when looking to book RCL, I add in the cost of specialty restaurants for every night and it's usually cheaper on other lines with their specialty restaurants added in. Bring in a new itinerary and it's hard to stay loyal. I'm surprised no one has mentioned the service on the rest of the ship which we found lacking as well. It seems the amount of service staff has been cut as well. I have another RCL booked, and am looking at one for the fall, but my expectations have been so lowered that I've warned the friends I have invited in the fall about the food. They can't wrap their heads around paying more for better food when the food is included in the fee. Meh, I've warned them. It's their first cruise so we shall see how it plays out. (seminar cruise, paid for by work, or I never would have suggested RCL to them). I hope this gets sorted out soon, but as folks like me are now willing to pay for upscale restaurants, why should RCL?

I sailed my first NCL in Nov. on the Sky of all ships and loved it! I like NCL for the ports, pricing, and casual experience. We experienced excellent service, even in the buffet, where we did NOT like the food. For NCL, I found that I am a pay for upscale dining gal for dinner. Other than that, I've found a new line that I will and have booked again!

We joined the Outrigger beachcomber membership plan, called to book and they waived the $40/night resort fee. So for January, we booked a king Cityview for $309 including all taxes. It's one block from the ocean, has full access to the amenities of the other Outrigger hotels if we want a chair/umbrella. THere is also a senior rate. It's centrally located, fairly new and great reviews. Something to consider. We are staying for six nights, so we don't need ocean front. Food & Drinks at Waikiki Beachcomber in Honolulu (outrigger.com)

We choose the outrigger beachcomber as well for those very reasons.