Zippeedee

I received an email with the offer directly from NCL last month but didn't follow up because I am set.

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Dorchester contains a lot of smaller neighborhoods, some peacefully residential and others not so nice. Why don't you let Kim share her impressions since she actually stayed at the hotel in question? Posting every crime in a huge area doesn't help at all.

You are correct, you do not want to venture into downtown Dorchester. However, even downtown Boston would qualify as "dangrous" as far as what you're saying - a few wrong turns, a few blocks in the wrong direction would land you in the "Combat Zone" and NOBODY wants to go there.

The "combat zone" is long gone. Downtown crossing is a huge construction site of new million $$ condos. Any big city has places you don't want to wander in late at night, but most of the hotel areas in Boston are fine. You'd have to never leave your house to avoid all possible crime. Mitsugirly had a great experience in Dorchester, your mileage my vary. For just a night before a cruise I'd look at the areas just north of the airport in East Boston or Revere. For more money, a new hotel, the Envoy, just opened on Seaport Blvd. two Silverline stops from the pier. Rack rate is $415 but there could be some deals on hotel sites.

Ship sponsored excursions can be expensive, but I wouldn't totally rule one out if this is only your second cruise. The biggest advantage is that they have to wait for you if there is a delay in returning to the ship. Go off on your own and they can leave you! The Blue Lagoon Island excursion is a lot of fun in Nassau and they take you right to the island. Atlantis is madly overpriced but a lot of fun for kids.

I grabbed this for my Getaway trip in September. For those that mentioned it listing a specific date and time, since you can only get the week long pass, the date defaults to the first day of the cruise, and the time defaults to 4:01pm since you can't use the spa facilities until after the muster drills are over.

 

I think it's great they're starting to offer more options online but I'm curious if doing so means more passes will be made available on each sailing (and the spa's thermal area will be more crowded as a result). Has anyone heard anything about this? I.e. If they used to only sell, say, 100 week long passes onboard for each sailing, are those 100 now available online and if they sell out there's none available for purchase on the ship that week? Or is it being split, 50 for pre-purchase and 50 available once you board? Or are they adding an extra 100 for pre-purchase in addition to the 100 they'd normally sell on board?

I thought I read somewhere that the online offer was to make the system more fair because of the new assigned arrival times. I picked 9:30 so I could run to the spa, but friends on a different cruise date were assigned noon. This gives everyone an equal shot at them. I hope they don't add too many more!

Yup! I use that in the standard office coffee when I'm too busy (or lazy) to walk down to our grinder brewer machine (it looks like Darth Vader in the corner of our employee lounge). Via is good stuff. Thanks for the reminder. Much easier than bringing coffee and filters.

For the 4 cup coffee makers in the balcony and minis, I bring my own coffee and filters. That helps.

Do they have the four cup basket type you can use with regular coffee? I keep hearing how bad the coffee is but I never know what the person who posts likes. It is too strong? Too weak or just junky tasting?

All valid points of course and I really want to do the BA. I'm just wondering if the weather we had pulling out and back in is normal for June weather (cold). My concern would be to have to pay for a ship with all these amenities and not be able to use them. I know that we would probably not use them while we are actually IN Bermuda, so I have to be able to get full use of the ship if I'm paying that kind of money.

You did not have normal June weather in Boston! It can be high 80's most of the time from late May on. We have a reverse spring this year, warm in May and colder in June. Not normal at all.

I was trying to make a reservation for our August cruise and it was only giving me an option of booking 2 or 4 people and we are a party of 3 including child. Does this mean it is sold out or do I need to call to see they can accommodate us?

 

Also, I see that it say children can eat off regular menu for free or pay child rate at specialty restaurant and I am assuming I still include them on the reservation correct.

I'm a "solo" on the 8/22 sailing so I picked two seats as it didn't give me a choice of one. I'll find someone to share it or see if I can release one seat once I'm on the ship.

I suppose I will upset someone if I recommend you just book for four to make sure your child will have a seat. Sorry in advance if that is the case!

We found the cabins to be very small. DH is not that tall, but he found the low sink in the bathroom and the shorter bed annoying. That being said, it was an enjoyable cruise. The food was good and the crew was great.

Everything on the Spirit was tiny, beds were narrow and SO hard. I requested two egg crates and they still felt like concrete blocks. Chairs were small and low to the floor, bathroom was tiny. The crew could not seem to handle the smallest request in the MDR, it took forever to get seating for four and the service was routinely dismissive and slow. We made it a great cruise, but not because of the ship! That was years ago though, so hope it has improved for your trip.

Wonder if Stacy is back yet, and how it went? I'm leaving for my first solo on RCL this weekend. Kindle is fully charged and ready to go!

If Stacy is Perditax she has a running thread on the NCL board live from her trip. Sounds like a great time!

I never got any replies but did get some answers so I thought I would put them here in case others needed the info

 

Starting today spa passes are on sale in advance for $129 not including the 18% but they will only sell a limited number. They also will be for sale on board (limited number) for $149.

 

If you are in a suite and want to use OBC you can call the concierge number 1-855-625-4283 and they will mark 2 spa passes and reserve them for you. The concierge will then take care of it once on board.

Thank you SO much. I just booked my pass for my August cruise. Saved $20 and the need to run to the spa first thing.

<sigh> I'm looking for a cruise to the Caribbean, leaving from Florida (I'm in Ohio) and am flexible to go late Sept, Oct, or Nov, but am getting frustrated trying to find something that's not going to gouge me as a solo traveler. :(Someone had posted before that Carnival told them they would be offering good solo rates in July, so that's what I'm hoping for. Other than this, I'm looking at Apple Vacations for just an all-inclusive resort. <sigh> Anybody have any thoughts or advise?

 

Maggie

Google search for low single supplement cruises. There are lists with many lines and ports. That's how I found my August deal on the Gem.

I just booked a solo on the Gem. I used a TA for the first time because they had rates without the dreaded single supplement. I found them from the Cruise Critic home page.

I just booked the NCL Gem for 8/22. Great deal and no single supplement.

I've been lurking here for awhile and finally found a solo to book. There is no single supplement for some categories on the two late August NCL Gem cruises out of NYC. I just booked a balcony mini suite for less than an inside on the Dawn. $1354 plus taxes and free UDP, UBP or shore Ex credit. I used a TA I found on the cruise critic homepage. Thanks everyone here for the information and encouragement. I can't wait!

How is the ventilation/air conditioning in the studios and insides? I like a balcony to get fresh air and wonder if I could handle the studio without feeling closed in? As a solo a balcony isn't looking too promising cost wise right now.