Bluetail48

We’re looking for similar information as we haven’t done an overnight at a port before.  We are on the NCL Escape in May 2024 and will also be overnight in Livorno. We haven’t found much info regarding passengers returning to the ship during this stopover. I’ll share if I learn anything; I like knowing how much I can plan and what to expect before going on my vacation.

4 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

NCL provides a drinks service where you can order drinks and have them delivered. Basically a mini-bar delivery service. Drinks from this service are not included in the Beverage Package. 

Thanks for sharing! I didn’t even know this was a thing. Is this separate from room service or is this what they’re calling it now? I see drinks and snacks but not full meals, so I’m guessing it’s not exactly room service. 
 

I wish this were included in the beverage package (I upgraded us to Premium Plus to reduce extra charges since the hubs and boy are a little bougie with their alcohol). Are there any classes that include SWIFT for no extra charge? Perhaps Haven? 😉 You would think after what we are paying to enjoy our vacation we could get pampered a tiny bit.

Thanks for sharing your experience; it looks like you had a wonderful time! We are booked for a 9-day Mediterranean on the Escape next June and are very much looking forward to exploring the ship and all the ports.

Thank you for sharing your packing list! The last time I packed this efficiently was in 2007 when I met my husband in Germany while he was on military R&R. I always think I’m going to pack well then thrown in things “just in case” and almost never wear everything.  
 

I also enjoyed your “Live” review from the Escape. We’ll be on this ship in May for a 9-day Mediterranean cruise, so I’m ingesting as much as I can over the next 10 months so I know what to expect when we’re finally on board.

***I also would like to know what phone cross-body you have. I’m the picture taker and love cross-body bags, so it’s a win-win for me.***

Cobblestone is bumpy to walk on and drive over. The surface is uneven, the gaps are inconsistent, and some stones may be broken, leaving divots where you might expect a flat, even surface. It looks really pretty and was incredibly useful when modern paving methods did not exist, but it’s impractical for people with walking issues or when dragging wheeled luggage around. 
 

Wear comfortable and sturdy shoes, pay attention to gaps in the stone, and don’t walk too quickly. Use more caution if it’s wet or icy.

Enjoy your visit!

We went on the Jewel in July 2013. We watched the weather forecast for weeks leading up to our departure and read everything we could about what to expect. We live in Washington State on the west side where we experience similar weather and we were caught off guard. The weather the week before and after our cruise in Alaska (Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway) was high of 60s, rainy and cool. The week we went? It was in the 80s, sunny and dry.

Pack layers to combat the unpredictable weather and take a lightweight, packable rain jacket just in case.

I would plan at least 90 minutes or more, taking into consideration where the dining room is in relation to the theater. We booked one reservation at the MDR about 90 minutes before the show we wanted to see and barely made it. We informed our server ahead of time, but we just had slow service that night.

Knowing what I know now, I would book as much of the specialty dining as I could ahead of time. The concierge can only do so much if the specialty dining is booked up. We were on the Jewel in 2013 and made most of our dining reservations the first day or so, but didn't use the concierge for the shows. We wish we had realized that so we could have had better seating for the shows, which were pretty darn good!

We visited the Haven restaurant for breakfast and lunch (it was Cagney's at the time, I think they've changed the model since then) and then MDR or specialty for dinners. We did go to the buffet a couple of times, but the experiences we had in Cagney's cured us of wanting to endure the chaos.

I hope you have a fantastic time!

Thanks for the giggle! It would be funny to see a whole group show up to Tsar's wearing those!

Balcony parts are irrelevant, there are also DOSs without balconies.

I figured as much, just quoting NCL website. With UBP, you almost don't need liquor in your room anyway.

Our pre-concierge has a lot of what JenJer said. It is primarily to appease our two teens who will be traveling with us and mostly things like emptying the mini-bar, stocking the coffee we like (although room steward and butler will figure that out within two days if you don't physically tell them), pillow menu requests, mattress topper for the kids on the pullout bed, pitchers of water for when we return from port excursions, which snacks we would prefer to have in the room...the list could continue.

We were new to cruising and didn't know what to expect when we booked our suite on the Jewel. Knowing what we know now, we plan to utilize our butler more (not for trivial things, but things that we would like to have that will make our experience even better). We didn't consider any in-room dining on the Jewel (the room is a little snug for that) and didn't know that was included, but our girls watched movies one night while we want to one of the shows (DVDs request to butler, but we have on demand on the Escape), and he brought sodas and pizza for them. Part of the reason we chose the aft on the Escape is the size of the balconies (we're on deck 12), so whatever time I don't spend in the Haven, I'll be spending on my balcony. If our butler can help improve that experience, I'll take it!

I have heard mixed reviews of fulfilling the pre-concierge and have read that some just hand off a list on their first day because it wasn't sent forward to the ship. Since we aren't demanding, we're just asking for a lot of the common things that others have reported throughout these threads. Take a look at the Haven amenities and decide what's most important to you and then start your list. Hopefully it will be conveyed to the ship before you get there, but you can have a little meeting when you first meet your butler and steward.

Spa suites don't get liquor.

Most suites don't get liquor. That's reserved for the Garden Villas (GV), Owners Suites (OS) with Large Balcony, and Deluxe Owners Suite (DOS) with Large Balcony.

I know the extra $2k may seem like a lot, but you should have a wonderful time. We are looking forward to our second Haven aft in July on the Escape and have already started our pre-concierge letter for personal requests. We are also looking forward to the Haven area/sundeck since we didn't have access to those while on the Jewel. The restaurant, butler, and concierge will make a difference in your time onboard. You may find it will elevate an average vacation into an amazing vacation...and it may be hard to go back to non-suite after this! Enjoy and happy anniversary to you!

I will be in 12306 on the 8 day sailing in late July. Has anyone found cabin and balcony pictures?

Hi CruisingPiper! We'll be getting off while you're getting on! I promise to take good care of it for you! I imagine our pictures might be too late, but if I can work it with ship or port wi-fi, I'll post pics (before my family moves in). And the posted video is essentially the same room, just 3 decks down.

Again, many thanks to Chief Tom (and Stanley) for measuring the balcony and putting to rest the square footage questions.

What's not to love about the aft on the Jewel? Spectacular views and little foot traffic, combined with the suite life, Cagney's for breakfast and lunch, 24-hour room service, and comfortable rooms made our very first cruise experience rather enjoyable. We were in 8130 and our friends were in 8132 for our Alaska trip. We noticed engine noise and some vibration, but only when we were docking in port. It was minimal and only when we were paying attention. Otherwise, (forgive the pun) it was smooth sailing. We rather enjoyed the suite life and the aft views so much that we are booked in an aft penthouse on the Escape this summer.

Have a fantastic time!

Has anyone sailed with four in the aft penthouse? We're in 12306 in July and would like to know how the living room is made up for the other two. Does the couch fold out to a double or will they bring in another bed/cot? Oddly enough, our teen son and daughter want to be as far away from each other as possible when sleeping.

Any information is greatly appreciated!

So I just got off the Escape this morning, and must say it was a fantastic experience. More of a review will come after I get off the Getaway next week Sunday.

 

I had wanted to know how large the Penthouse stern Haven suite was before I left on this cruise and could never get an accurate number! So, I packed my trusty Stanley tape measure, and between my wife and I, we measured our balcony in room 12306. Because of the slightly irregular shape, we erred on the small side! The numbers are as follows: 24 ft x 10' to 12' which comes out to around 264 square feet.;) I can't, speak to any other balcony except that one, so now you know :)

Thanks for this update! I haven't found much info either and figured the website details were flat-out wrong. That sounds like a fantastic size! Looking forward to our turn in 159 days!

Thanks for posting the video! It's nice to see a simple and thorough review!

You can always come drink with us!:)

That sounds like a lovely idea! We'll be in 12306 in July...we'all raise a glass to you then!

It's pretty lame that bottled water isn't included in the drink package, but you can get water from any bartender (in a glass). You can carry on or check bottled water (and various sodas, juices, mixers, etc. as long as it's non-alcoholic). It should be sealed and in its original packaging. You can also carry on powdered mixes, such as Kool-aid or Crystal Light. We carried on our own Brita filtered water bottles to refill with ship tap in the stateroom. You can also fill these at the various water stations (think buffet), but not directly; fill a glass and then pour it into your bottle.

I'm not sure what you mean. The suite and Haven breakfast and lunch in the designated restaurant is MUCH better than the MDR, the Buffet, or any other 'free' venue on the ship. Not that the others are bed.....but the Suite/Haven venue s simply better. Please explain?

 

Harriet

I'm with you. After braving the Garden Cafe for breakfast one day at lunch on the Jewel, we quickly decided to go back to Cagney's each day for breakfast and lunch (when we didn't order in). While the menu didn't change, there was plenty of selection to keep us satisfied and the food was decent. And no kids running wild or bizarre buffet line patterns.

I'm pretty sure a penthouse is not in the OP's budget.

Not the point...the point was the views are available all over the ship and the person I quoted indicated that port was the best side. I'm arguing that any side is the best side. Just going to Alaska made me happy. Going there on a cruise made it even more incredible. We walked all over the ship and saw something from every deck. There were a couple of times we had great seating near a window at dinner and got distracted by the view. Even the views from the treadmill in the fitness room were impressive.

To the OP, as you know, there is a lot of valuable information available from your friends here at CC. Ultimately, you have to decide if obstructed is worth the $$. That will depend on how you think you'll use your room, especially with young kids. The pictures posted of the obstructed oceanview looks like a nice location. Good luck choosing!

The only thing I learned from the spiel about cruises while I was on the Epic was if you sail to Alaska, do it on a balcony on the port side.

I disagree. We were starboard aft PH on the Jewel to Alaska and LOVED it. Admittedly, aft is less confining than, say, a mid-ship balcony, but there's something to see no matter which side of the ship you're on. As another poster stated, you can find a place somewhere to see what you want to see. It is ultimately a matter of preference, but we never felt that we were missing out. We also were rather comfortable, due to little wind.

We are sailing on the Escape in January and are booked in a forward facing penthouse for my family of 4.

 

NCL called today because there is an error in that this suite is only supposed to sleep 3.

 

To compensate for the error they are giving us the connecting balcony room at no charge.

 

I'm thrilled that we will have the living room area in the penthouse and won't have to use it for sleeping and the kids will get their own bathroom.

Oh wow! That isn't what the website shows at all! We were originally booked into this same room (for 4) then switched to an aft (12306) once we figured out the balcony configuration. I almost wish that we had stayed and then ended up with the adjoining room too.... :cool:

You are fortunate to get that extra room for no additional cost! Have fun!

We took on our own water bottles with filter (just because that's what we took, not because the tap water needed to be filtered). We also took on a case of water that we kept in our collapsible cooler on our balcony. You can also bring on your own sodas/juices (any non-alcoholic liquid refreshment, really), as long as they are sealed and, in fact, contain the product advertised on the label.