Two Wheels Only

I know that it's not exactly the same but we've had multiple butlers across different ships offer to fill our hot-tub while we were still using the pool on the sundeck. That way, once we leave the sundeck, the kids can warm up in the hot-tub immediately after the "cold-air" walk to the suite. One parent can shower while the other hangs out on the balcony with the kids. Breakfast delivery and set-up are no problem in the Yacht Club. You can even hand-write requests if the doorknob sheet doesn't have what you want. Because there are 4 of us, it usually takes 2 people to bring in all of the food and set it up on the balcony. Lunch and dinner delivery aren't really done on MSC as easily as they are done in the Haven. Even if the suite is large enough, MSC doesn't like to deliver lunch or dinner from the Yacht Club restaurant or from any specialty restaurant. Room service (especially pizza delivery 🍕) is no problem, of course. The list of what the butler can do is longer than what most guests ask for. I give the edge for butler service to MSC over NCL. Both groups of butlers are highly trained but often the communication (or lack thereof) between the guests and the butler leads to different results of satisfaction. Some butlers suggest more services than others while some guests request more services than others.

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NCL started to build ships with enclosed smoking for the casino after Escape was built. The newer Breakaway Plus ships (Joy, Bliss, or Encore) might be better for you. The newer class of ships might also be an option for the same reason (Prima, Viva, Aqua). There have been talks of adding enclosed smoking to other ships but it's a slow process.

Since the kids are both guest #2 in the staterooms, the kids should already have the soda package and the SDP with the standard Free At Sea promo. I think that the question is asking if the adult can upgrade to Plus but not the child in each stateroom? The added SDP meals, Wi-Fi, and excursion credit aren't worth the cost of the upgrade for the child if NCL forces them all to upgrade.

Do you see the above on the MSC site?

"... a lovely daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay...." 😲

I do wonder if driving to port vs. flying to port is a factor for some people. I have the luxury of packing 2 weeks worth of clothes for a 1 week cruise since I drive to port. Those who fly have to be cognizant as to the weight limit of their luggage so maybe people leave the "extra" dress clothes at home. Personally, I dress how I feel on a particular day/evening. If I want to wear a tie, I will. If I want to wear shorts and a t-shirt, I will. Good time, good food, good drinks, etc. is more important to me than what I am wearing and is certainly more important to me than what other people are wearing.

I can't be empathetic towards a situation that I haven't experienced. I can't be empathetic towards a woman who experienced a painful pregnancy, either. I can be sympathetic, not empathetic. "Sympathy is a feeling of sincere concern for someone who is experiencing something difficult or painful. Empathy involves actively sharing in the person’s emotional experience." - Merriam-Webster

You might mean "lacking sympathy...", not "lacking empathy...". If an adult is responsible, willing, and able enough to take an excursion (on their own) in a foreign country, that same adult is responsible, willing, and able to deal with the consequences of their actions. If the couple in this situation was 75, would that make a difference? How about 55? How about 25? I can't speak for others but my posts probably wouldn't change at all. If anything, the "experienced cruisers" should/would get less sympathy because they know better. What would happen if NCL instituted a policy that anyone over a certain age cannot leave the ship unless on a ship's excursion? People would be up in arms. Posts stating that "age discrimination" is bad and that older people can "still do things..." would flood the forum. That's the point that many on the forum have made. These situations happen because of the decisions and actions taken before things go bad.

NCL never requires a jacket nor a tie.

The "...long pants in one MDR...." varies by ship. On some ships, shorts are fine in all MDRs. When in doubt, check the dailies for your particular cruise.

"Norwegian Cruise Line said it disputed the time of the couple’s arrival at the pier. 'The two guests who went ashore independently arrived at the pier approximately an hour late and missed the all-aboard time of 5:30 p.m. local time, for a sail away at approximately 6:00 p.m.,' a spokesperson said via email." It's a case of "he said/she said" as to the actual amount of time that they were late. Does that mean 6:30p or was it 6:10p? To me, 10 minutes late means 5:40p so I guess that's why I don't miss my ship, my plane, my train,.....etc.

Do Aurea guests get wristbands included?

Some things are consistent with NCL but some things vary greatly depending on ship choice. Imagine someone thinking of trying RCCL and was deciding between ICON OTS and Vision OTS. It would be a big difference. Another thing to consider is stateroom choice and category. Are you thinking of a Haven suite or an interior stateroom? Perhaps, somewhere in-between? If you could narrow it down to some of the RCCL ships that you like, it would help to compare/contrast with NCL.