cruisincarly

I am terrible at keeping things like this a secret, so I usually tell our son pretty early, though not always intentionally. Our next cruise isn't until New Years and we had decided not to tell him for awhile since it's so far off. But, Grandma & Grandpa started talking about wanting to come along (and they're coming, yay!) and I mentioned something about it within earshot of him, and whoops, cat's out of the bag. Heh.

Husband and son in one room, parents in another!

We actually went for the $200 OBC, since last cruise we only spent about $100 on specialty dining and I had one cocktail (and husband none). We were happy with that level of specialty dining and drinking, so it didn't make sense to do either the UDP or the UBP, really.

Parents got an inside, so their only option was $25 OBC (which is better than nothing, I suppose!).

Sailing : 08April2015 - Rome 10day

Ship: Jade

Booked: BX

Assigned: 8034 B2 Family balcony, connecting to 8036.

 

For the price we paid, no complaints. That said, we'd prefer a full balcony as opposed to the cut-out hull balcony. We've asked out TA to contact NCL to see what possible upgrades might be available.

 

Regardless of the outcome, we're going to have a blast!

 

Greg (& Jeremy)

We had the same thing happen to us on our last Alaska cruise, ending up with the in-hull balcony and weren't super happy about it. Turned out to not be a problem AT ALL. Balcony was less windy than full balconies we've had in the past, and we had a great view of the inside passage.

Splash Academy is closed for a couple hours at lunch and dinner times, but otherwise open all day. They do a really nice job -- our son liked the club at 3 and LOVED it at 5.

BTW, I suggest heading over to the Family Cruising board. There are a TON of great tips on cruising with kids over there!

Thanks so much. Very helpful.

Splash Academy does not take the kids into the arcade.

 

On NCL kids can either charge or not, there's no way that I'm aware of to set a daily limit.

 

There were quite a few teenagers in there on my last few cruises and I wouldn't let my kids in there without adult supervision.

That's good to hear about Splash Academy.

Yeah, no way I'd let my little kid in an arcade without adult supervision. That wasn't the issue! Heh.

What does the entry into the arcade look like? Is it very obvious while walking by to a kid who can't read that it's an arcade?

Hi! We're sailing on the Pearl in a couple days with our 5 year old. We've sailed on NCL before on the Spirit, where the arcade was not located near the kids club, and, in fact, we didn't discover it until late in the cruise. I see that on the Pearl, the arcade is adjacent to Splash Academy. Our son is good at limiting himself with video games, but he needs clear guidelines before going in. I'm trying to figure out what kind of "preparation" is necessary for him. So, I have three questions about the arcade:

(1) Will the kids be permitted into the arcade while they're in Splash Academy?

(2) How visible (& therefore enticing) is the arcade when dropping off at Splash Academy?

(3) Is there a way to put a limited amount of money onto my child's card so he can play just a couple games at a time?

Thanks!

 

 

 

Your 3 year old should have a blast...not only in the kids club, but the pool as well. All the falls and the water slides. We couldn't get ours to leave. We SERIOUSLY had to drag her away (kicking and screaming and the whole 9 yards...no exaggeration here). :eek:

Although we're hoping, we're not counting on him being potty trained by then (he'll have just turned 3), so we might end up having to avoid that area of the ship...I don't care if there are other kids in diapers in there, I like to follow CDC regulations :-) But everything else sounds great...he loves playing with other kids, so I'm sure he'll love the kids club. I think he would love the dolphin encounter too (he is crazy about animals...especially sea creatures).

Thanks for this review! Considering the same itinerary, also with a 3 year old, so it was really helpful!

We stayed in the Ibis when we unexpectedly had to spend a night in Southampton. The room was very cheap, and it was a good size. Its no luxury hotel, but its clean, the staff are friendly and the beds are comfortable. It is just a short cab ride from the docks.