Jeremiah1212

Can you keep an eye out for other available cabins in your category that aren't as obstructed as the one you currently have? It seems like there are a fair number of balconies that are advertised as obstructed that really are not.

Never been on BA, but it's the same on Escape. Most of the venues lack any personality so apparently the goal is to make up for it in sheer volume. I don't mind a loud rowdy bar or sometimes, but you literally couldn't carry on a conversation in any of the non-restaurant venues at night. The Tenacious D impersonator in the Brewhouse was practically screaming into his mic on top of that, despite the maybe 20 person crowd at times. The music outside at the Spice parties made my ears ring for hours. They definitely have some room for improvement!

Caveat: I haven't actually sailed on the Royal yet. I'm booked on her sister ship, the Regal, next year. So I'm basing my response on having cruised other, older Princess ships.

 

I agree with pretty much everything that others have posted so far. I think you might enjoy all that a Princess ship has to offer. My only pause is your statement above about preferring "small-ish... class [ships]".

 

After coming off of the Escape, anything has to feel less crowded than that. The public spaces of that ship are just a mess. It's definitely bigger than favorite to date, Brilliance of the Seas, but I'm fine with that. Brilliance also only does 5 day runs which isn't long enough for me. I need a solid week to unwind.

My plan for the 10 day on Royal over the 7 day on Regal was nixed by my better half, so I actually did book Regal this morning instead. I think vacation days are meant to be used to the max...but that feeling isn't mutual :cool:

Can't compare Princess and Celebrity. Had a Celebrity cruise booked but cancelled in favor of another Princess cruise. Frankly, Celebrity has a slightly more formal vibe that we found offsetting.

That's my biggest reservation. There was just something about it I was not totally sold on, other than the price. It was quite attractive with their perks included. However I will say (no offense to anyone) that reading the Celebrity boards here is not exactly enjoyable reading. Just my honest opinion. The passenger mix back in 2010 when I last sailed them and the impression you get from reading the boards are quite different. I think the true mix is even more different now with the younger clientele they are trying to pull in. It's just a different experience.

I'm much more comfortable with the decision to book Regal over Celebrity!

The Royal Princess has IMHO the best buffet at sea. We're not "dinner in the buffet people" but on the Royal, ate dinner there every night on a 17-night cruise. Tables are set and covered with tablecloths, waitstaff take your drink requests (from iced tea to something stronger) and the lighting is dimmed. There are several meat entree options as well as salad bar and so much else. An entire dessert display.

 

The Royal also has an expanded menu Alfredo's (free) where you can get the best pizza at sea, salads, calzones, etc. The International Cafe is open 24/7 (free) with everything from cookies and pastries to salads, sandwiches, etc. And this is not including the Grill or the Pizza near the pool. Lots of options to eat if you don't feel like getting dressed up or want to stay in shorts. Plus the reasonable priced restaurants Sabatini's, Crown Grill, Crab Shack or Fondue.

 

Princess offers a wide variety of activities during the day and entertainment in the evening. The focus isn't so much on one big production show but there will be comedians, a piano bar, night club, etc. The Royal has an in-cabin entertainment system with hundreds of movies and shows on demand. No fee. Plus there's Movies Under the Stars.

 

The Royal is now one of my favorite ships and I'm on her again in April.

The more I look at the dining options, the more appealing it's becoming. Celebrity's specialty dinners are expensive!

After sampling most of the major lines and ultimately sticking primarily to Royal Caribbean, Princess has just never been on my radar for some reason. But I think that may be changing. However I need some advice!

After our recent cruise on NCL Escape we knew we wanted to try something a bit more upscale and maybe go back to a smaller ship. From my signature, you can tell I love the small-ish Radiance class on RC. Big ship features but you still feel like you're at sea in a perfect sized package.

So after being packed like sardines into the Escape, I ran off and booked a Celebrity trip for next winter basically in search of an anti-NCL experience. We had a great cruise, but won't be booking that ship again. I cruised Celebrity several years ago with a larger group, so my memory is starting to fade in regard to what I did and didn't like. I had glance over the Celebrity/Princess comparison thread that was recently posted but didn't have time to dig in too deep.

The more I look at the two, I think the Royal Princess may be a better fit than Celebrity. Please correct me if I'm wrong or share your thoughts...but here's what I have gathered so far.

• Princess has more casual dining options...something we missed on Celebrity. We enjoyed the food and venues and upscale feel and would participate in formal night on Princess, but I want more casual options in case we don't feel like getting dressed up.
  
• More overall and more diverse dining options in general on Princess
  
• More night time activities. We felt like eating and drinking was all we did on Celebrity during the evening. Fun, but got old. Lounge-type singer entertainment doesn't do much for me.
  
• Slightly younger overall crowd
  
• First impression seems like I would favor the Princess ship layout
  

So am I on target with my assumptions? It seems like a lot of Celebrity and Princess fans go back and forth between the two lines but I just have a feeling that Princess may be the better option for us. Thanks in advance!

So glad I found this thread! After sampling most of the major lines and ultimately sticking primarily to Royal Caribbean, Princess had just never been on my radar for some reason.

After our recent cruise on NCL Escape we knew we wanted to try something a bit more upscale and go back to a smaller ship. From my signature, you can tell I love the small-ish Radiance class on RC. Big ship features but you still feel like you're at sea in a perfect sized package.

So after being packed like sardines into the NCL Escape, I ran off and booked a Celebrity trip for next winter. I cruised Celebrity several years ago with a larger group, so my memory is starting to fade in regard to what I did and didn't like. I had glance over the Celebrity/Princess comparison thread that was recently posted but didn't have time to dig in too deep.

The more I look at the two, I think the Royal Princess may be a better fit than Celebrity. Please correct me if I'm wrong or share your thoughts...but here's what I have gathered so far.

• Pricess has more casual dining options...something we missed on X. We enjoyed the food and venues and upscale feel and would participate in a formal night on Princess, but I want more casual options in case we don't feel like getting dressed up.
  
• More dining options in general on Princess
  
• More night time activities. We felt like eating and drinking was all we did on X during the evening. Lounge-type singer entertainment doesn't do much for me.
  
• Slightly younger overall crowd
  
• First impression seems like I would favor the Princess ship layout
  

So am I on target with my assumptions? It seems like a lot of Celebrity and Princess fans go back and forth between the two lines but I just have a feeling that Princess may be the better option for us. Thanks in advance!

Definitely Uber. Your choice of economical car that would cost the same as a shuttle all the way to black car service that still runs cheaper than scheduling through an actual service.

Super easy to do. It's such a great little place for a day on the beach. Just exit the pier to the taxi stand. I would say it's closer to a 15-20 minute drive straight down the road. When you're close to being ready to leave just ask the bartender to get a cab for you and they will be there shortly. We have always met people on the beach and ended up sharing the cost of the cab back to the pier.

Make sure your driver knows how many people to expect and which pier to take you need to get to. Despite seeing the huge ships, we have had a few drivers that had enough of a language barrier that telling them the name of the ship wasn't any help. They usually have signs outside of the taxi stand when you exit that remind you which pier you're docked in.

I am curious about this excursion. I just don't understand the appeal so please someone fill me in on what I don't know. Its a bunch of rocks that you walk and climb over in water that is cool and the same temperature as the ocean. There is an ok beach once you get through the rocks. I have watched multiple videos and read how many people go there but it does not look that exciting to me.

What am I missing? Why do they call it the baths?

You're not missing a lot. We did this excursion last week. While it is really pretty, I was a little let down by it. It's basically a beach excursion with a crawl through a few rocks. If photography is your goal, it will be pretty difficult given the number of people passing through the rock part. It also gets very congested later in the morning. Considering the cost when booking through NCL, an easy cab ride to any of the Tortola beaches would have been a better option and saved a ton of money.

Just book it yourself... As I sit here making final preparations for our cruise, I've done all of the planning and booking myself with no issues.

My first NCL cruise is this upcoming Saturday. I had two PCC's reach out to me but they offered nothing out of the ordinary. It was more a sales pitch call than anything else. Maybe the experience is different if you have status?

I've also reached out to a number of travel agent's over the years and never had any offer better than what I could get directly through the cruise line or had any perks thrown in. If I have a question I can easily find the answer online, or if I needed to make changes, I've never experienced a situation I couldn't handle myself.

I think it's partially a generational thing. The people who are more likely to pick up the phone and book with a live person over the phone are the group that wants the relationship of a travel agent or rep. I just find it easier to DIY.

After reading the most recent few weeks of trip reports, I did change our flights for this weekend. We were on the 11:50am but now on the 1:10pm departure to be on the safe side despite maybe losing my upgrade to first. It's just not worth the stress to get home a few hours earlier.

Someone with access to Timatic would be the best source of reliable information in regards to the actual Visa requirement.

http://www.skyteam.com/en/Why-SkyTeam/Services/Visa-and-Health/ does have limited access to the database but I do not know if sea vs. air entry hold different requirements.

Although the limited information on the Bahamian government website says no Visa required, another reputable Visa service website states there is a Visa requirement. To me that's a red flag for concern there are varying circumstances or stipulations out there.

I would get to the root of the actual Visa requirement. If they were wrongly denied boarding I would contact NCL to see if they were willing to work through the circumstances, even though they are not the party at fault.

My understanding is that your boarding position is reserved when you book Early Bird. As in, if you book months in advance and select EB at that time, you will get low A group without a doubt.

Not necessarily. As someone previously mentioned, business class fares and A-List customers get priority boarding before Early Bird. It's not uncommon at all to get a B position with EB. On a city pair with a strong SWA base and after a cruise when a lot of people have the the same idea, it's actually pretty unlikely to secure an A group without status or a business fare.

While you do still need to check in even with Early Bird, there's no need to rush to do it. You can do it a couple hours before your flight or at the airport. Your boarding position is already assigned 36 hours in advance. Although you are not guaranteed an A position even with EB.

And given that many passengers report that Vibe is often empty, NCL could likely sell double the amount and still have plenty of space.

I can't recall a single report about Vibe being anywhere close to full or 'busy'. Most pictures I've seen only have a handful of people in there, even on a sea day. With NCL's quest to grab every last dollar, I'm really surprised they don't sell at least 50% more passes than they do now.

I have several questions and please answer any that you might know.

What's the difference between them and which is better?

Exact same concept and service, but Uber is more popular and widely used.

1. Cost from FLL to port of Miami. I know there is an estimator, I would like someone's personal experience. It varies at peak time and prime time. We would need picked up at around 11am on a Sunday, And return the next Sunday at about 10am.

http://uberestimate.com or the app can quote you a fare. It will vary depending on traffic. Every report I've read on here or elsewhere has always been under $40 for UberX, but it sounds like you will need a bigger vehicle. I have never seen anyone report surge pricing on a weekend afternoon (when fares increase substantially due to lack of available drivers).

2. We have a group of 4 with luggage( one large a piece plus a carry on each.) what kind of car do we request?

If you want everyone in the same vehicle, you will need to request UberXL. In that case bump your price up to approximately $70-$80. An XL vehicle is required to seat at least 6 people. You're most likely to get some sort of minivan but may chance into a larger SUV.

3. If we request a car to take us back to the FLL airport, how do they find us at the cruise port?

Your phone should drop the pin exactly where you're located, but the driver can text and call you to coordinate pickup if they can't find you. You will know what kind of car and license plate# to be looking for once someone picks up your ride request.

4, Is the price quoted pp or per trip?

The price is always per trip. It's not like a cab where there is an extra fee per passenger.

Hi! New to the boards and have a lot of questions about an upcoming cruise. I have never sailed out of Miami before. I am flying into FLL the day before my cruise and need help.

 

1. Is flying into Ft Lauderdale a mistake?

2. Should I stay in Ft Lauderdale or Miami that night? If Ft Lauderdale where?

3. Regardless of where I stay, what is the best way to get from Ft Lauderdale to the Miami Port?

 

A few facts. I will be traveling with my father who has mobility issues. I am limited on the number of nonstop fights, which is why I chose to fly into Ft Lauderdale because I could fly SW, therefore no additional luggage fees. Also the return flight is better for my schedule.

 

Thanks in advance!

You will be just fine flying into FLL. Many, many people do it especially with Southwest at FLL.

I must be in the minority but I do prefer a hotel closer to the cruise port. If there are no unexpected delays the trip from FLL to Miami should only take about 40 minutes. When you're taking a shared shuttle it can be a little hectic. Loading up the van like sardines then you'll may make multiple stops before you get to your hotel. Getting that part out of the way the day before and then having a very short ride to port on departure morning is a much smoother experience.

You can take a shared shuttle but that sounds like it won't fit your needs very well. A Town Car type vehicle will cost you about $100 each way, UberX will be around $35 each way, or a standard taxi would be roughly $80 each way. You can always look into a one-way rental car as some people do, but I think that's more hassle than it's worth for such a short trip.

It sounded like Happy Birthday was playing over the PA on the entire ship, film crew and staff on the bow waving.

Whoever you are Pat...Happy Birthday!

I mentioned just a few days ago that I thought the Freestyle slogan was tired and not reflective of the experience they offer. It did more so when Freestyle was first introduced years ago...but now every line has a similar structure. They need something new or more unique to differentiate themselves. I'm not sure this is it though.

That last tag line is a bit peculiar. "Feel free to follow the sun...instead of a schedule." Doesn't the need for reservations for most activities and meals on the mega ships is completely contradict that concept? :eek: Nothing about that conjures a 'freestyle' image in my mind.

A good number of the terrible to poor reviews address issues that aren't necessarily ship-specific. The concern the ship isn't kid/family friendly enough also seems to come up a lot. Yet the very next reviewers first comment was that this ship is not for adults. Perplexing. It seems the ones that feel it isn't family friendly enough would like any adult oriented activity or space on the ship should be replaced by something geared towards kids and families. Others are going to be up in arms the first time they hear a kid cry during dinner.

The rocking and motion of the ship appears a lot too. I don't really feel like this should be included in a review. Amongst other factors, I don't think there has been a single week in the Caribbean so far this season that hasn't had some sort of big storm event that is going to effect seas.

I just don't place a lot of faith in these reviews so early on. The onslaught of changes left a sour taste with many people who are going in with a negative attitude or an axe to grind. Some of the uber-cruise critics are going to berate every negative thing they can find. Others are first timers who enjoyed themselves and have no real basis for comparison.

Once we sail at the end of the month, Escape will be my 4th line and 6th ship to sail of varying sizes. I won't do a full play by play review, but I will try to provide some subjective comments and thoughts.

That's one of the balconies at the rear of the ship. Not aft-"facing" but aft-most location.

 

There are good pictures HERE and HERE that show how much larger those balconies are.

 

I think a lounger can fit in 12304.

I had an angled balcony but totally lucked into seeing 12904 (same as 12304 but starboard) open up one day and was able to grab it. It's even bigger than the same cabins on deck 11. I'll post pictures once we return. It's definetly the largest balcony of the standard balcony cabin categories.

I haven't been on an NCL ship yet but will be on Escape at the end of the month. Based on pictures alone, the -away's and Escape definitely look more confined and claustrophobic. The low ceilings and emphasis on more smaller spaces opposed to larger open area is definitely different. I'm used to the big open grand MDR's on RCL and X and the Promenade/Centrum areas. More smaller venues can make the ship feel less crowded because of the reduced number of people in one given space. In areas like the Royal Promenade on RC, there are sometimes several hundred people within your line of sight so you get the impression the ship is busy and crowded.

What I don't get at all is the "Freestyle" hype. Nearly every mainstream line has their own version of the dine anytime you want concept. Especially on Escape, reservations are encouraged at multiple venues. Sure the dress code is a little more lax but that's about it. I think eventually NCL will need to ditch the Freestyle catchphrase and market something else to separate them from the pack. Maybe so when Freestyle was introduced, but now there really isn't anything unique about their product offering.

I've read all of the Escape reports I can, but does anyone have first hand experience with what time debarkation has generally started? We will be doing self carry off and getting a private car back to the airport to save some time.

I know there are numerous variables involved but our flight back home is a little later than I would like.

I've cruised mostly on RCL. We're not necessarily die hard RCL fans but I always seem to default to RCL. I have only sailed Celebrity once but I did like it a lot. There is definitely a different feel than even an RCL ship. As others said, it is a more subdued experience, the clientele is a bit older and more upscale, and it's far less family-centric than RCL or NCL. Nightlife can be a bit lacking. We usually over do it during the day and go to bed fairly early anyway.

I would agree that even on the S class ships the interior looks dated. I'm sure it's very well kept but it does look tired. The new NCL ships are far ahead when it comes to a more modern design. Considering the first S class ship sailed in '08...the interior design was likely developed in the early/mid 00's...so it's not exactly fresh at this point.

Granted I've only had a 7 day experience with X, but I don't think the CC forum is indicative of the typical X cruiser. When I read those threads I can't help but to think the typical poster is one of the older passengers who is holding on to the idea of yesterday's cruising. I think X continues to appeal to a younger demographic who aren't looking for a super family friendly environment but don't want the party of a Carnival ship either. I have two friends in their mid 30's who cruise X almost exclusively and they say they never feel like the 'youngsters' on a Caribbean cruise. Go for a Med route or a 7+ day trip and and I'm sure the average age increases a lot.

We sail the Escape in a few weeks and I'm excited to compare to two. Already looking towards a late 2016/early 2017 cruise, unless NCL completely wins me over we will continue to look at X or maybe even Princess. The waterslides, cartoon characters, kids clubs, ropes courses etc. are things that we aren't looking for in a cruise.

A box is like 5 bottles....give or take. You're only allowed 2 of the small/regular sized bottles...not the big bottles...not boxes.

You can get boxed or tetra pak wine in way more sizes outside of a box of Franzia. My mother in law loves her boxed wine (bless her!) and frequently cruises from FLL with a box in her baggage. I'm not sure if she checks it or does carry on, but she most definitely takes it with her.