complawyer

justapilot, ok thanks, that's pretty much what i anticipated

never sailed with carnival, but 18 sailings on ncl within the past 12 years. i would consider, however, that when a cruise ship gets bad press, it's usually a carnival vessel as a practical matter, i choose my cruise (hah ha! i made a rhyme) based on price and itinerary. i'm anal doing research and i find that ncl usually gives me the best bang for my buck. on most of my cruises i find the food generally good, not overwhelmingly so, however, and sometimes i forget to even check out the shows

we've been to most of these. i loved the ruins at tulum in cozumel. i have, however, no desire to stop at any of the private islands, and no overwhelming desire to see puerta plata. sorry to sound like a diva. but unless you want to either go diving, snorkeling of lay on the beach, the other ports are rather ho hum. (imho) based on your choices, i would pick the ship rather than the itinerary. never been on the breakaway, but have been on the sister ship getaway. loved it, it's my favorite

im sorry, what is the cc statement, i was under the impression we'd get an email confirmation if the bid was accepted and wouldnt hear anything if it wasnt

current update. ship sails this saturday, we're flying into seattle tommorow. offers still show "pending" but i'm losing hope "SIGH"

phych. i hope you are not disappointed with these answers, the club balcony perks (imho) are not overwhelming. remember its just called a "suite". Just a renamed mini-suite. you dont get any of the perks that come with the real suites or the havens.

hey,2boyzmom: thanks for the encouragement. while the fat lady hasnt started singing yet, unfortunately, i her her humming in the background

thanks for the glimmer of hope!

drsea, if i were a 30 something, single MD, on a cruise by myself or with a buddy, i too would be dangerous. lmao. have a great time. and believe me, im quite envious!!!!

i'd like to think i was a good comp lawyer, but ive been retired for about 4 years, and i would never think about bringing business cards along on a cruise (lol)

dearmrstocko. if we're ever on the same cruise and i happen to be in a haven suite, i would be delighted to buy you and your husband a drink at the haven bar and have you join us for dinner at the haven restaurant. it's all on me!

if you go to any casino anywhere with the expectation of beating the house, you're better off going to either the show, a bar, or to sleep. ive laughed at many people talking about their so called "system(s)". ive tried to point out that the billion dollar hotels built on the las vegas strip are thanks to the many gamblers and their system. i go and sit at the blackjack table or texas hold 'em table just to play. if i win great, if i lose i go to bed

we're in our mid 70's and have been cruising with ncl since 2010. thelast time we were with a different cruise line was mid 90's on costa cruise line. you need to remember/consider that when trying to accomodate 2-4,000 people someting may go wrong. generally, i have no complaints about any ncl services, food, drinks, entertainment, etc. if you take a deep breath, and appreciate the cabin, the itinerary and the staff you should have a marvelous time

drsea. you're in the your 30's, im in my mid 70's and therein lies the difference. i dont want to be around a bunch of screaming kids, 100's of other sun bathers, loud deafening music, or anything else offered by the main poolside. when i was your age it was cool. now i would much rather have the haven pool and jaccuzzi with only a few people present, curl up on one of the lounge chairs with my kindle and a glass of scotch, and just chill. i dont book a haven to be "pampered" i try (and hopefully succeed) at not being to demanding, i tip whenever/whoever is helping me, be it the bartender, the haven poolside waiter, the maitre'd or haven hostess. at our age, my wife and i are cruising just for the joy of being on the ship. the haven just ads a little more charm to the experience i hope you remember this when you reach your 70's

well, we're 3 days away from sailing(bliss to alaska, aug 6-) i bid on 5 different haven suites, and still no word .should i just take my ball and go home or is there still a ray of hope?

i dont know who you may be referring to, but i would never consider or call any non-haven cruisers steerage. the thought would never even occur to me. i cruise because i absolutely love to be on a cruise ship discovering new places. in the past 12 years. my wife and i have visited places on this planet, i never thought i would see. ive ridden a camel in tenerife, an elephant in bangkok, been kissed by a stingray, propositioned in hong kong (totally different story) im not into "meet and greet" Im not knocking those that participate, it's just not for me., ive posted before that im anti-social (not really true) im actually a loner and have been most of my life. i prefer not to be seated with strangers, and the haven affords me the opportunity to limit contact with others. i dont chat with other people sitting at the bar, but the limited number of people in the haven complex suits me just fine. i dont look down or think less of other cruisers who dont book a haven. as an aside, the more posts he and i write, the more i appreciate chiefmate jrk, and in a past post i told him if we're ever onthe same ship and im in a haven, he is welcome to a complete tour, and the drinks and dinner are on me. whoever made the comment about others being in steerage is just plain dumb. (i believe they are called "KARENS"

teppanyaki, hands down!

i'd like to think that i'm not in the category of 'ENTITLED FOLKS" when we are able to book a haven. i know that in some of my very early posts, i may have come off that way (for which i apologize, that was not my intent). i have posted before that i am very anti-social and a complete grumpy old curmudgeon so for me the haven is perfect. it's not a status thing, it's i dont have to deal with crowds. i can curl up in my little corner of the haven and just chill. you should try it at least once. if you read back some of the posts, you will find that the downside of the haven experience is being satisfied with another category cabin. by the way, the butler will bend over backwards to make your stay as delightful as possible. i will also concede that we are able to book a haven because we get a % off through casinos at sea, and through cesar's entertainment. also, we get offers for free club balcony suites, and apply the cost to upgrade to a haven. mstocko, give it a shot at least once. sometimes i just take my kindle and sit on one of the lounge chairs in the haven pool area and just chill. they also have staff that will bring you drinks and goodies while youre at the pool. the other good news, is whenever i have done this, the pool area has usually been devoid of screaming children and ive had t he area by and large mostly to myself. same with the haven restaurant and bar. very few people with whom to interact. as the old commercial says "try it, you'll like it"!

mrstocko: while i appreciate your opinion, it seems just a wee bit inconsistent. you claim you like to be pampered, in that case you should love being in the haven complex. depending on the ship, you have your own pool area, bar and restaurant. the concierge is there to assist in whatever you need, and if there is something special you want, ask your butler. as soon as we meet him. i let him know that 1st thing every morning to please bring a carafe of coffee, a pot of hot water, small pitcher of milk, croissants, muffin's and sweet rolls. they are there like clockwork when we get up. haven seems like the top of pampering (at least on the ncl ships) . while im a little like you, not overly fond of buffets and crowds (plus forget about trying to get a seat) sometimes the variety of stations and choices are enough to go up and experience the buffet. while of course you need to get the food yourself, you will find the people behind the counters, and the wait staff are all very accomodating and helpful . just try and avoid the guy at t he front with the annoying "happy,happy, washy,washy" UGH!

thank you, that helps a great deal

hey, davechipp1974! with that line of thinking, do you also feel you should be able to have "sex" on your balcony? the ban on smoking on the balconies, is for consideration of others near your cabin. cant you exist without the cigar?

if you check your cruise docs, they willhave the address of the port at the top

while there is no shame in not being able to stay in the haven complex, if it's within your budget, there's no shame in booking a haven suite either. while i have read posts here indicating no need or use for the butler and other reasons not to stay in a haven, i think its a great experience all around. i do agree with my good buddy chiefmatejrk. if youre going to go on a cruise, and just need a place to shower and sleep, an inside cabin is just as good and dollar wise a much better value. some people dont need/want the additional amenities. some people do . that's what makes the world go around. although, i recognize which cabin to book on a cruise ship is strictly a first world problem while i enjoy the pampering a haven cabin gives you, ive said before (many times) the ability of the concierge to walk you off the ship, to your luggage (which is a separate designated area) and get you on your way within15-20 minutes, to me is worth the price of admission and booking a haven

ok, it's not the end of the world, but im starting my disappointment early. we're leaving on the bliss in 6 days. if all the cabins ive put bids on still say "pending" am i still in the game, or am i down to wishful thinking?

the magic 8 ball says "aint no way"