bruzin_for_a_cruizin

8 minutes ago, Denny01 said:

Especially E-Class with the 4 MDRs. Love that! I think X missed the mark not saying “we have 4 Specialty Restaurants on E-Class but we will allow All to enjoy them Free”!

Heh, that wouldn't even been much of a stretch for a Marketing department with the nerve to claim IVs are anything but really big windows! 😂

Adding my experience, as a first time NCL cruiser (RCL/X veteran):

Booked airfare promo just a week or so ago on an April 2023 sailing on Prima out of NYC. The airfare was crazy cheap -- less than 50% what I would have paid booking direct -- and the hotel (Marriott Marquis) was also several hundred cheaper than my Bonvoy member rate. 

It's the first time I've ever booked any travel extras like air/hotel through a cruiseline, because the RCL pricing is nowhere near what I can get on my own. This promo really worked in my favor.

I'm used to the games RCL/X play with their drink package pricing, so I'm wondering (expecting?) NCL to do something similar. 

We have the Adult Beverage Package Promo on our upcoming sailing. I typically get the Deluxe Beverage Package on RCL, so I'm looking at the Upgrade to Premium Plus. It's currently showing in my planner at $29 pp/day... is that the standard price? Does it ever go on sale?

I'm sure CC's resident diving expert, Harris, will be along with some great recommendations soon enough!

Personally, I have booked my last two cruise dives in Cozumel with Dive Paradise. They are located across from the Wyndham, so it's only a $8 cab ride from the pier. They also offer, with a minimum 2 booked divers, a 10:00 Express Boat. I like that because you're never quite sure when the gangway will be opened, and boats typically go out at 8:00 or 8:30. Plus, it's an Express Boat, so there will be 5 or 6 divers max, and you'll be able to get to the more desirable southern reef dive sites, including those walls you're looking for.

I just booked an April 23 sailing to Bermuda (never been!) on NCL Prima. I don't mind the $40 pp, but I hate hate HATE having that swab stuck up my nose.

I'm really hoping the test requirement gets rescinded before my trip!

We are long-time RCL passengers, and we enjoy the ocean-view balconies on Oasis-class ships for all the different neighbourhoods. We were on Apex last November, on a Move-up to a Sky Suite from an IV. 

We were blown-away by The Retreat experience, from the cabin to Luminae to the Retreat deck. So much so that we booked onboard for another SS for this coming November. We met some people onboard who were staying in an IV, and after checking out their cabin, my wife and I agreed it is, as so frequently pointed out here, most definitely not a balcony. The best example I read was someone here who posted "if the IV is a balcony, then my house has 25 balconies."

I'll be putting a deposit down next week on our Nov 23 cruise on Beyond. We're going to try the Sunset Veranda. While we loved the Retreat, we did feel like we spent most of our time on the Retreat deck and didn't experience the general run of the ship, so the SV sounds like a good compromise there.

The E-class ships are truly spectacular. The layout is great, the size is manageable and the "little things" are attended to. Don't bail on the entire class of ship just because of the IV. You might like it -- some people do! -- and there are other cabin categories available if you don't.

I have no problem marking the clock and bringing over a pool attendant or Officer to remove towels etc. at the 31 minute mark. Last two times I've done that, my wife and I were able to enjoy the chairs for the whole day without anyone coming by afterwards and asking "where's my stuff?" 

I have no problem with someone staking their claim in the morning and leaving for the occasional pool dip or buffet run. As long as they come back within a reasonable time limit.

It's the ones who drop a bunch of towels at 7 am for their entire group of 8 and none of them actually show up at any point during the day. I don't understand how a human can be so self-centered and inconsiderate of others.

6 minutes ago, mac66 said:

Being in the water and snorkeling has some inherent dangers. FFMs are no more or less dangerous than regular masks.

Ummm... if you've read the article I posted -- or any of the others just like it -- you'd know that's not at all true. For example, you cannot get carbon dioxide buildup in a regular diving mask. If you choose to use one, just be sure you're using a quality, name-brand mask which may have guards against CO2 buildup.

But I will agree that being in the water and snorkeling has some inherent dangers. 

If you go with a FFM (full face mask), please make sure you buy from a reputable brand. These things can be dangerous!

Full Face Snorkel Mask Dangers, Deaths and Safety Tips - Snorkelvibe

We sailed Apex in November -- our first cruise with X -- and I was surprised at the location of the "Pizza Station." On Freedom- and Oasis-class ships Sorrentos is very much in the center of the action as it's open late. I didn't quite understand the location of Apex's pizza, particularly since the product was quite good!

I suspect calling it out like this on the Beyond is because metrics are showing a lower-than-expected demand for pizza on the Edge and Apex. They are trying to figure out a way to let people know the pizza is there, instead of relying on passengers stumbling across it, as we did.

My wife and I were on Apex with a VERY LARGE AND VERY LOUD group of travel agents. We were in the Retreat, so there was no real impact on us, aside from the congestion in the hallways as they seemed to moved together in sub-groups. They had some sessions in the theatre, but I don't believe any venues were closed for the group activity.

Keep in mind, this was in that short window between Delta and Omicron, so capacity was limited anyways. It might be different now. 

1 hour ago, flamingos said:

Any luck finding a friend of your daughter's to take the cruise?

No. I mentioned upthread I'm not too keen on my daughter's friends, plus I don't want the responsibility of someone else's kid, even if they're legally an adult. I'm not crazy about the idea of my 20-year-old daughter having her own cabin, but we'll be right next door and she's a bit of an odd duck anyways. It'll be more of an issue getting her awake and out of the room, rather than worrying about her partying too much. She can sleep until 2:00 in the afternoon easily...

I'm taking the advice here, and we're just going to "no show" my son at the pier check-in. That'll allow us to keep the cabin assignments we've got. I'm going to call in and have him removed from the Cruise Planner purchases so I won't lose the pricing I got on the DDP/UDP. 

In the end, we'll miss having him on the trip, but I'm going to get back a few hundred bucks, so I'm not out of pocket. 

Thanks for the advice, everyone.

For those of you who suggested going the "no show" route... can you please just clarify for me? Are you suggesting I don't notify RCL that our son won't be coming until embarkation? Like, at check-in?

If I go that route, I will call them to see if he can be removed from the cruise planner purchases so that I won't lose the pricing I'm currently enjoying (thanks to @cruizzing for confirming that!)  

39 minutes ago, smplybcause said:

I think you misunderstood the whole cancel after final payment. Unless I'm missing some fine print, you'd essentially have to let the 23 year old no show. You'd get his taxes and fees back, but not his fare. 

 

I'm not sure on the other things because it sounds like you logged into your account and bought everything in one transaction even though it's two cabins? I've only ever been given the option to buy things for those with my cabin. 

I'm actually okay with not getting any refund on the 23-year-old. The price on the cabin was so reasonable, I just don't want them to hit me with a solo supplement for $500 more than what I've already paid. 

The two cabins are booked under separate reservations, but linked in Cruise Planner. Linking reservations allows one to book for the whole party, in this case, 4xUDP and 3xDDP.

27 minutes ago, Starry Eyes said:

To keep the current price, the son can be a no show.  You will eventually get taxes and fees back.  You could probably cancel his cruise planner purchases sooner (unless you think the young man might be fickle and change his mind again!). Still, that leaves you paying for four, which begs the question…Is there a compatible friend or family member who might like to take that spot at rather low cost?  Or would that ruin the family dynamic?  As long as one name remains the same from the original booking (daughter), one is allowed to change other names on the reservation.

I would like to cancel the Cruise Planner purchases, but I don't see a way to cancel off individuals. I can cancel the entire UDP and the entire DDP purchases, but then I would lose out on the great Black Friday pricing I got. Ideally, I could just select him and remove his bookings and keep the rest.

Our daughter has asked about bringing a friend, but I'm not too keen on the idea (I don't really like her friends!). I'd rather take the loss and still enjoy my vacation and not have to worry about someone else's kid.

23 minutes ago, Jingerwoppy said:

Disown him.  There is no better offer. 🙂 

Trust me... I've considered it many times!! HA!

Ah, the joys of parenthood! 😆

Back in May last year, I booked a family cruise for this coming August: me and my wife in one cabin, our adult children (23 & 20) next door. During the last Black Friday sale at 55% off, I also booked the UDP for all 4 us, as well as the Premium Drink packages for me and the wife, as well as our 23-year-old son.

He has just informed me he's received a "better offer" for the week we're travelling and wants to cancel.

The TA has advised if we cancel him off ther reservation now (before Final Payment), RCL will likely apply the solo supplement on the cabin, adding about $500 to the cost of the stateroom for our younger child. He has suggested, however, that if we wait until closer to the sailing, they will likely just allow the current rate to prevail. That makes sense, and I would obviously prefer to go that route. 

I'm posting here -- assuming this isn't an entirely unique situation and others have experience here -- to ask not just about the overall fare, but how best to manage the drinks and UDP. In the Cruise Planner, it appears as if I can only cancel the whole reservation, not just single people off it, so if I cancel the drink package entirely and rebuy, it'll be at the current, higher cost.

Any advice on how to handle this situation with minimal impact to my budget?

Lots of good recommendations in the Scuba and Snorkeling - Cruise Critic Community forum. Check it out.

But to provide a quick answer: I've dived with VIP Diving Bonaire - VIP Diving and they are excellent. Top-notch experience right from pick-up at the pier.

As above, noone can decide "worth it" for you. Everyone's financial situation and vacation checklist is different.

For me and my bride of 30 years, we did a MoveUp on our last 7-night APEX cruise from Concierge (IV) to a Sky Suite. We enjoyed the experience so much, we used Next Cruise to book a 10-night next November in a suite. After taking advantage of the BlackFriday sale for a price drop, the 10-night comes to $8000 for the two of us, with $2300 in OBC (combined Celebrity + TA OBC).

Individually, there wasn't any one element of the suite experience which tipped the scales, but the ocean-facing bed, the true balcony, the Retreat sun-deck and Luminae all add up to making the uplift "worth it" for us.

23 hours ago, cruisegal40 said:

Thanks for this information on MC.  We usually go and are on the SOTS in September.  Bummer.  Now we will also need to look for another beach.

Yeah, I figured that others would be interested in this information, seeing how popular Maya Chan is as an option.

Keep us posted here what you find for your alternative. For our sailing, Costa Maya is our first port stop, so I'd like to have something booked. The port area is nice enough to walk through once. Once.

Heads up: I just tried to make a reservation with Maya Chan for our August sailing on Symphony of the Seas. They responded advising they "have decided to pause from July to October 10 for new construction and storm preparedness."

Any recommendations for a Plan B? Is Nacional Beach Club actually worth USD$135 pp?

Just now, Lisacfletcher2009 said:

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond with your knowledge. If we only did one of either Roatan or Cozumel which do you think would better for our experience? Have a great cruise by the way!

I've not yet been to Roatan, but I've dived Cozumel 3 times and loved it every time. If it were *me* and could only dive one, I would dive Cozumel.
Not only because I know the diving will be great, but because there really isn't much else to do in Cozumel! If you've been to the beach clubs and the resorts, and ridden a scooter all around the island, and taken the ferry to PDC and shopped the downtown area, you've pretty much seen all there is in Cozumel. I've not been to Roatan, so I'd like to explore the island a bit.

There's a Scuba sub-forum just below, where there are always great recommendations for which dive shops to use when in ports.

During COVID and coming out of the pandemic with limited sailings, cruise lines have been canceling scuba excursions, leaving divers scrambling to find back up diving opportunities. I would recommend booking through a third-party, or directly with a dive shop, for the foreseeable future.

I'm on the same Symphony itinerary in August, and I would also consider myself a Novice/Intermediate diver. For Costa Maya and Roatan, I booked through Shore Excursions Group, as I've never dived at either port. Cozumel diving is some of the best in the world, and you almost can't go wrong with any of the dive operators there. I've been using Dive Paradise, as they are located not far from the cruise terminal (opposite the Wyndham, it's only about an $8 cab ride), and they have a 10:00 a.m. Express Boat just for cruise passengers. 

Harris is a Cruise Critic treasure, to be sure.

I will add a good Cozumel option which I've used as recently as November: Dive Paradise. They were offering a Cruise Passenger departure on the Express boats at 10:00 a.m., but I just checked their website and that option doesn't seem to be any longer available.

In any event, they are only about an $8 cab ride away, and they will go out without a full boat. In November, it was just me and a buddy.

I actually did  a week-long diving trip at Iberostar Cozumel just the week before the world ended in March 2020.

It's a fabulous resort, and the beach/pool area is excellent. It is a bit further south than the other resorts, so travel time is longer, but I wouldn't call it "too European" in any sense.  

That's too bad, because reading your contributions here, I think you have a lot to offer the diving community. 

I will agree there are a lot of... let's say, strong opinions on Scubaboard. Some posters there seem to think their method is the One True Way and any deviation will result in DCS or even death. If you can get past some of the egos, there's a lot of good information and guidance there to be mined. 

14 hours ago, omeinv said:

No, I read posts there from time to time, and choose not to participate.

Why is that, Harris?

I peruse scubaboard frequently. I've found some good tips on gear (buying and deploying) and shared some tips on cruise diving.