jrsegrl

Loved both the Prima and Viva.  We have been on 89 cruises about half of those on NCL.   Buffet area on both were not my favorite but we just went elsewhere for breakfast and lunch.  Amazing theater.

Long time DCL cruisers - since 1999.  We were on the Dream the last week in April and there was definitely something off.  Food and service were bad.  Disney is not known for their food but this was our 46th Disney cruise and it was way worse.  On our cruise they did have someone from Corporate onboard so pretty sure they are aware that there is a problem.  We didn't complain but when we got home I called to book another cruise and the agent told me there were a lot of complaints.  There were a lot of families with a lot of kids which made the ship very crowded.  We sailed on the Magic 3 weeks ago and totally different.  It was also a very full sailing but seemed to operate more efficiently.  Husband and I agreed they seemed to making more of an effort than in the past.  Food and service were much improved. I dragged a very unwilling husband to Disney Dreams and after the show he actually commented that he enjoyed it.  We will be on the Fantasy next week for the Halloween cruise so we will see how that one goes.

We were on the 1/19 sailing that docked 1/29.  We came in during the night due to the snow storm so we were off early.  

We were on the Sun last month and the dress code was being enforced in the MDR.  The person at the kiosk politely told the man in a baseball hat it was not allowed and he would have to remove it.  People were not allowed in the MDR in shorts either except on the first day.  Personally I was happy to see it enforced.  If there is a dress code it should be followed especially since there are alternate places to eat if you don't want to abide.

Could it be an upgrade bid? Especially if it is an even amount of 600. As others have said your best approach would be to call NCL to check it all out. I wouldn't worry about the excursions. We've done 24 NCL cruises and rarely book ahead. Never had a problem booking onboard.

We used to drive in but now always take NJ transit to Penn. From Penn to the Pier we take a cab which runs between 8 and 12.50 plus tip depending on traffic..

Show times shouldn't be the same for you. Our sailing wasn't full so they only did 1 show a night at 8 with one exception. They did throw in an afternoon Jersey Boys though at 2 for those that missed it.

The specifics of the offer might change depending on ship or month....Just got off the Bliss and the CC I thought said one level upgrade but when she gave specific examples said from lowest level in category to the highest like ID to IA. I think what they might do if you pick an A cabin, rather than give you upgrade they charge you for a lower cabin

We've done 38 DCL cruises and 23 on NCL so I can probably answer any questions you have. We don't normally cruise as a group but as others have said, if you want to all eat together try to make a res even at the MDR. Even if you eat really early the buffet has snacks pretty late and there is a 24hr comfort food type restaurant if you are hungry later. The biggest difference is you have the same dining team all cruise on DCL where on NCL it's different every night. Some you get to know and some you don't. Dinner doesn't take as long either. That's my husbands biggest peeve with DCL - the 2 hour dinners. You should try and make res for the specialties and main shows but if you can't make them ahead do it as soon as you get onboard. If that doesn't work the standby line for shows has always worked for us and I know people have had success getting into specialties by calling the day of. I'll know more about the Bliss in a few weeks - doing the inaugural.

No one ever mentions the escalator but I was intrigued. First time I ever saw one on a ship. Its a short one. I can't quite tell you where it was but I used it to go up a deck to the Cavern Club if that helps you.

Loved where La Cucina was too.

I should have added that DH and I have done 38 cruises on DCL. It's not that one is better than the other just different. We like both and bounce back and forth between NCL and DCL. If fact we did our T-day cruise on the Epic, walked off the ship and boarded the DCL Fantasy for the Mickey's Merry Christmas Cruise. I think the only difference that will affect you is DCL's shows are 'family friendly' and some on NCL are not so much.

We finally tried the Epic for our Thanksgiving cruise. We'd heard so many comments about the ship - people seem to love it or hate it - curiosity kicked in and I finally booked it. Really liked the ship and would definitely sail on her again. Everything was great - entertainment, crew, service. The only downside was the staterooms are a bit odd which won't be an issue for you in the haven. And ...the Epic has an escalator.

thanks so much.

We are going on the NCL Bliss out of Southampton in April. What is the best way for us to get from the airport or nearby to the cruise port. The more I read the more confused I get. Thanks.

Thanks. Planning this trip has made me realize how little I know about England.

Do all the cabs take credit cards. Is a cab the best way to get to the cruiseport from Southampton Airport? And anyone know how much for 2 people. And last, when you say Black Cab - is that the official cab similar to Yellow cab in NYC.

Sorry for all the questions.

Just another quick question. Is the 1 app, 1 salad, 1 entree, 2 sides, 1 dessert ONLY in the specialty restaurants with the dining package OR is that standard even in the MDR's? I assume it's only in the specialty restaurants.

I've never heard of any limits in the MDRs. In the specialty restaurants currently, some ships are telling you the above are the limits for your dining plan. You can order extra but there will be a charge. (Then sometimes they charge and sometimes they don't)

The Platinum dinners are a different story. They are only 1 app, 1entree up to $20 w/sides and 1 dessert. Again with this sometimes they charge the excess and sometimes they don't.

The limits are way more than I would eat anyway. Whether or not it is enforced is another thing. Seems to matter what ship and who is in charge at the time. Originally the plan was unlimited - I was stunned to read how much people ordered. There were reports of people eating 2 specialty dinners a night (really early and really late) or ordering one of every app etc. So limits came about. I think the 1 app, 1 soup/salad, 1 entrée w/2 sides and dessert limit is fair.

I don't eat Lox but did notice on the 2/2 BA cruise the girl sitting at the next table at breakfast had it for her bagel. This was in the buffet. So there is hope.

In the past few months we have been on the Escape, Epic and Breakaway. Neither the Escape or BA said anything about a limit in Cagneys but we never order much anyway. On the Epic our waiter told us 1 app, 1 soup/salad, 1 entrée w/2 sides and 1 dessert. Also on the Epic in La Cucina when we used our PP certificate we were charged the 1.99 overage on my husbands entrée where on the Escape and Breakaway using the PPcert we were not. So who knows!!!!

Recently returned from a 14 day BA cruise and there were definite issues. This was our 63rd cruise / 23rd on NCL /6th on the BA. and the first time I have ever had anything negative to say. BA was my favorite ship just so you know where I'm coming from.. But although this cruise was less than stellar every cruise is different and there are a lot of great things about the ship She is beautiful and easy to get around. Love the Specialty restaurants and usually food is good in mains. Shows are good, Escape the Big Top fun and a lot to do onboard. We do this particular cruise every year so know this was not a typical experience. Maybe the crew was just a bit worn out - they had that storm a few cruises ago, a rude group on our cruise which made things difficult for everyone. Ran out of food items, cranberry juice, wine, etc which I have never had happen before. Getting coffee at the buffet in the morning was difficult. Errors on our bill, errors when booking excursions, internet difficulty....Bad behavior by the person in charge of one of the small restaurants to his staff and just service not up to usual. First time I've actually wanted to get off a ship and never cruise NCL again. Did mellow on that point though. But having said this I wouldn't worry about future cruises on the Breakaway. Drydock will take care of some things (our mini suite had broken closet door, 2 shower spigots didn't work and mattress had a big dip in the middle) and new re-energized crew and passengers should resolve the rest. Within the last few months we have also cruised on the Epic and Escape - no issues there so assume the problems on the Breakaway were not due to recent changes made by NCL.

I love the crabcake and get it every time.

Lately we have been having the cab drop us across the street also since we travel light.

We plan on $15 each way for the cab. The fare itself is between 8.50 and 12 depending on traffic and the rest is tip. 2/2 cruise was a Friday with a lot of traffic so fare came to 13.80 and husband gave him 20 - which is way high but he was nice. trip back 2/16 to Penn was about 12 for the fare.

NewMexicoNita - had to laugh at your comment about running out of booze. On the 2/2 Breakaway they ran out of Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio. Really? This is from the beverage guy in the restaurant so I thought he meant only for the restaurant so I said I'd just go down to the Atrium bar and get one. Then he said no - there was none on the ship.

We never used to get the drink pkg as a promo because we don't drink much so figured it wasn't worth paying the gratuity for something we wouldn't use. Have changed our mind about that on the last couple cruises. If we only get 2 glasses of wine at dinner it's worthwhile. does depend on the cruise though. If we did another port heavy/long touring day cruise like the Baltic was I would probably choose something else. For me personally, alcohol and early mornings don't mix.