ryanpatricksmom

Also, there are still some ships where they actually hand you cash rather than having it available to download on the machines (the Spirit class ships as an example).  If that happens you can certainly choose not to play it and use it to offset your onboard charges.....I personally don't have that level of discipline, LOL!

I'm still getting a different balance due every time I try to get into my booking which leaves on February 11th...It's been paid in full since October, LOL!  The shore excursions are all screwed up as well.  I was looking for a couple of quick ones to book but the descriptions aren't matching the port, so I don't have any confidence that I'll actually end up with anything that I want.  It's going to be a long Monday for the NCL IT Dept.

1 hour ago, Mary Louise said:

Entertainment and Activities

CCL certainly exceeds other cruise lines for activities. My family and I like to play trivia, and it was offered several times a day. Trivia games were usually packed. They had several bean bag toss games through out the day. There were other games as well that you could get involved in.  It appeared that there was something for everyone. 

 

We did go see one comedian. We thought he was pretty funny. My son saw a different one and thought he was good too. The Punch liner club is bigger than the other ships I have been on. Some passengers complained that it was small, but actually for the venue, I thought it was pretty large for a comedy club. Passengers lined up to get into the shows, but we has no problem finding a seat. 

 

The main theatre is only one floor. We were there for the first magic show, Family Fued and the Platinum party. We never had problems finding a seat. 

 

On the other hand, seating for the entertainment that was scheduled in the center of the ship was horrible. Passengers would get a seat an hour in advance so they could see the show. There is not enough seating. From my recollection they offered three different shows. The shows were primarily, the singers, dancers, magic and some aerial  acrobatics. I am not into the singers and dancers in any cruise that I have been on. It is just not my think. The Mardi Gras did incorporate them into the magic and aerial performers. 

 

I personally think that CCL should offer one less show and have it more frequently. Some seats had an obstructive view and it was just too much of a hassle getting a seat. 

While the show was going on, there was the background of shaking martini containers at the bar. 

 

If you want to see these shows go early get a seat away from the bar. 

 

There was plenty on live entertainment on the ship. I loved the violinists. 

 

Tomorrow I will write about the ports and bars. 

 

 

100% agree with holding  entertainment in the Center Stage Area.  Even bingo was a disaster.  I think that it would be fine if they had a band playing, or any other type of performance that didn't require you to see.  Why on earth they would have a dance/aerial show where at least half of the seats (if you can find one) were blocked by either pillars or the level above is beyond me. 

2 hours ago, fair-winds39 said:

We’ll, that’s encouraging. So looking forward to our cruise in a few weeks.  I’m surely stressed out more now than ever. This cruise was rebooked twice and we have another scheduled in Dec. 2022. The Mucinex and Tylenol are good to go. Our toiletry bag looks like a portable pharmacy. I’m hopeful that by spending most time on balcony and other times masked indoors, along with being vaxxed, and boosted twice, will help a little……fingers crossed.

The odds are very good that even if exposed you will make it home before you have an issue.  My July cruise was a 10 day and I got the sore throat and a rash on the last day.  I was still negative all the way home which took 2 days. Other than the nasty sore throat and fatigue it was never a big deal.  The second cruise was 8 days and I developed the rash (again) with a milder sore throat on debarkation day.  I again was able to fly home before testing positive.  This time I was very sick on day 3, fine by day five.  I still haven't gotten a negative test (and I sail next Saturday), so I'm in stressed out mode too!  I think being double boosted you start to get symptoms before the viral load gets high enough to test positive so you get some time to get your ducks in a row.   Hopefully this variant will start losing steam soon.  Good luck!

I'm pretty sure that was our cabin as well.  Loved everything about it except for the shower/tub set up.  It took some really careful maneuvering to get in and out of the shower.

We had an entirely different experience.  When you arrive they have lines (outside) clearly marked for your boarding time.  They only allow the passengers with those boarding times to move up to the terminal. Once in the terminal it was a breeze.  What may have set our situation apart is that we stayed at the Hyatt at the airport the night before and took a Carnival transfer to the port.  We were dropped off to stand in the line, but our luggage was taken directly to the porters.  We didn't see it again until it arrived at our cabin.

We may have waited 15-20 minutes before our line was allowed to enter.  We could easily have taken a later transfer if we had really wanted to avoid the wait.

For debarkation I did find that the signage at the terminal was a bit confusing.  We stayed at a hotel less than a mile from the port so we decided to walk with all of our luggage (it proved to be a poor decision due to bumpy, crowded sidewalks).  It was ridiculously difficult to figure out how to leave the port area as a pedestrian.

I have been vaccinated and double boosted. During the pandemic I visited Disneyworld multiple times, sometimes for 14 days at a stretch.  I live in a golf community that wouldn't understand social distancing no matter how many times it was explained.  I have flown at least a half dozen times to various locations staying in many hotels. I live in a state that hasn't abided by masking requirement for the entire pandemic. I sailed in August of 2021 and January and March of 2023.  I evaded COVID for all of that time, through all of that traveling.  Since the more virulent strains have become predominant I have cruised twice. Both times (July and August) I have returned from the cruises with COVID.  The first instance could have been considered like a "cold", but I promise you this last time was not.  It was very much like a bad flu with a temperature of 102.9.  I am about to sail again for 3 weeks,  so I will be getting the 3rd booster and hope that my immunity is in overdrive since I had a more severe case this last time.  I fully support relaxing the rules on testing since it really only captures a moment in time rendering it a useless tool.  What everyone should know, however, is that for me, and for many others that I know who have had similar experiences, you should be prepared to get COVID (likely towards the end of your cruise).  While the likelihood that the vaccinated will not require medical attention, it will not be a pleasant experience either.  Take medications with you such as Mucinex, Tylenol, Throat Lozenges, and Cough Suppressant.  Have a plan in place in the event that you are too sick to make it home, and

bring masks so that you don't spread it to anyone else.

Thanks so much for the responses regarding the On Demand section.  I had actually thought that could be the case but when I checked the first few movies there was a fee, so I didn't think to keep looking.  It would be a lot more helpful if they had a "free" section, but whatever.  There are at least a dozen movies for free, many of them suitable for the junior cruisers.  That's the downside to losing the paper Funtimes.  That's exactly the type of information that used to be communicated.  Lesson learned.  If you're on a ship with an interactive television, there are still free movies, just no movie channel.  As another poster pointed out, it's actually an improvement....if you know where to look!

Apologies if this has been posted already, but the internet has been even worse than usual so a search is out of the question, LOL!  We're currently on the Horizon and the complimentary movies channels are gonzo.  We were just on the Miracle a couple of weeks ago, and they were still available.  Is this fleet wide or just a Horizon thing?  It's our first time sailing her.  Honestly, it's been very rare that I was lucky enough to ever catch one of the movies from the beginning, but it was a nice option to have.

A few years ago NCL was giving us the best offers.  Since COVID, it's been Carnival.  Interestingly enough, we have gotten better offers from each when we take a hiatus.  On our January sailing with Carnival we won an obscene amount over the 10 days...and put a good chunk back.  It just wasn't in our best interest to rest on our laurels...retired, ACA, SC tax laws, etc.  Expected them to court us.  Not at first! We got crappy offers for a couple of months, and lo and behold after not accepting them, the freebies started pouring in again.  We took the winnings that we kept from Carnival and gambled them on NCL in March, the offers with them since have been dismal.  I'm not booking any more cruises with NCL other than what I need to use my Cruisenext deposits until offers improve.  We'll see if they get "onboard"...pun intended.

5 hours ago, coondog99 said:

Anyone have a reference to the increase to internet packages on May 1st?

FYI, you can purchase an internet package using your onboard credit if you have any.  I can't remember ever having the option of applying OBC to a prepaid purchase before, but we did go in today and were able to prepay all of the internet for our next 3 cruises using OBC.  I have no issues paying more for gratuities, so I wouldn't do that prior to our sailing, but the internet...I don't want to pay more for that!

Same here.  We used to get Haven cabins, spa cabins, etc. and only paid the admin fee, port fees, and taxes.  Before our last sailing they had already given us a balcony cabin on the Prima for $314 pp based on our 2019 play.  We sailed on the Joy last month, each of us accumulated a bunch of points (can't remember the final number), and when I called to see about making the Prima cruise a B2B, the price pp was $1000.  We are using up Cruise Next certificates so we booked anyway, but the days of NCL having the most generous CAS program seem to be in the past.

24 minutes ago, SliderNc said:

Just a comment that I've been thinking about here.  NCL is making sure they are sailing the Haven full.  There are numerous reasons for this from a business aspect.  But do they have adequate staffing to do so?  My assumption is that while ships are sailing full with passengers, there are probably limited staff as well, including the butlers that service Haven guests maybe?  That could lead to issues with service (butler to guest ratio is higher).  I'm not giving NCL a pass on this either, because it is something well within their control and management abilities if sailing with a full Haven.

 

Additionally, if not mistaken, when Joy was re-fitted after being over in Asia, it had more Haven cabins added and has the most I think of any ship aside from the Prima/Viva which haven't sailed yet.  From pictures I've seen, it doesn't look like they've enlarged any of the areas on Joy after adding more Haven cabins.

 

We did Sandals for our honeymoon in 2011 in St. Lucia (La Toc Resort with golf course).  We did have a butler there as well.  I can say that butler was one of the best we had overall and made our 10 days there an incredible experience.  The rest of the resort was interesting and did not really blow us away (we take a lot of all-inclusive vacations) but it was the butler who made our honeymoon one of our best vacations.

I'm sure that's exactly the case.  With occupancy rates low on the ships they are likely selling out the Haven at dirt cheap prices (relatively speaking of course, LOL), but haven't bothered to fully staff up. I would assume that NCL wants to grab the extra $$ that they can get, and keep their star crew members happy by providing the opportunity for maximum tips, but aren't as quite as concerned if they cut corners for half fare. Less staff means less cost to NCL; more in tips to the staff that they do have in place.  I was fully aware that I was getting a bargain and wasn't disappointed, but it wasn't the same experience that I've had in the past.  Could be the times and the circumstances, could just have been an off week, could also be that things are changing.  Who knows?

You're also right about the Joy being designed differently.  The Horizon Lounge is a huge space that's under-utilized, while the Haven Lounge and Bar is very busy due to more Haven cabins. I also recall there being a dining area with service near the pool on other ships, and they don't have it on the Joy.  

1 hour ago, mafig said:

Ryanpatricksmom mentioned that the bar was often crowded and you had to squeeze between others to order a drink.  Don''t they have roving bartenders?

AubreyC has already answered, but I wanted to add....The single roving bartender that I saw, plus the servers in the Haven Restaurant are all getting their orders filled by the Haven Lounge bartenders while they're still waiting on the guests at the bar,  so in my experience it can take a lot longer to get your drink if you don't order it yourself.  I typically would get a drink before dinner and take it with me.

9 hours ago, Acruzaholic said:

I am sailing this Saturday 3/19/22 on the Joy-Cabin 14778-First time on Joy and First time experiencing the Haven- I started by following/reading  all of Sthrngary's posts about the Haven Experience and it resulted in my obsession to want to  try  the Haven. I was really looking forward to this cruise.  What sealed the deal for booking the Haven was due to current and  extremely attractive low price currently available for booking the Haven on the Joy. After reading all of these responses, I hope that I will not be as disappointed!  I was sooo loooking forward to an incredible time experiencing the Haven bar  and the creative mixologists -to the point of upgrading to the PP+ beverage package. Unfortunately, the Upgrade to PP+ has now been nixed after reading about some shortages of the  higher end liquors and lackluster Haven bartenders. It is funny that what I have done for many NCL cruises is now  being called "Haven Lite".  I would always book a balcony cabin, upgrade to  7 nights of Specialty dining,  and secure Vibe Passes. Just never upgraded to PP+ beverage pkg. For the investment,  I could go on  @  least 2-3 cruises vs the price of the Haven and feel Iike I and my DW had a somewhat, if not equal, experience for alot less $$$.   We did Haven Lite in a Club Balcony w/7 nights of specialty dining, Spa Passes, and Vibe passes on December 5, 2021 on the Encore and had one of the BEST cruises ever-No crowds and incredible service every where on the Ship.  This cruise is a replacement for the January 2022 cruise cancelled by NCL due to  COVID. We will still cruise well  and enjoy the Haven Experience regardless of any short comings-HEY it still will be a reduced capacity cruise with  awesome crew, other attractions,  and  bars to frequent outside the Haven. 

I'm sure that you will have a fabulous time!  We loved the cabin, and our Steward was awesome!  As soon as we left in the morning and the evening he would service our cabin.  There was one time that I was lounging on the balcony that I had to go inside so that he could wash it, but it was a minor inconvenience, and certainly not his fault.

You will probably get the same Butler, Lanie, and she was very sweet.  If there is something specific that you want she will happily bring it to you at any time.  I'm more of a "if it's there I'll eat it" type of person, so I would have preferred to give a yes/no list of things that we liked, but I got the impression that there was a standard list of afternoon snacks that were typically delivered.  We took to making our own snack plates from the Horizon Lounge (those sable cookies and the mini donuts are amazing), and leaving the delivered snacks for the most part.  On Day 2 when I was unable to leave the cabin due to too much cheap wine the night before, she came by to introduce herself, and upon request she brought a PB&J for me, and a pizza for my husband.  As far as I'm concerned, she earned her keep that day alone!  I'm weird about asking to be served, so in my particular case I prefer someone who is proactive, but that is no reflection on her.   I'm sure that you will love her!

My issue with the bar was more of a logistical thing.  It was often too crowded, and required squishing in between 2 patrons to order a drink.  I also would have preferred a better Bloody Mary, LOL!  They did have Fever Tree tonic and the like, which is certainly an improvement from the standard bars, but I think that there should have been more hand crafted cocktails.  I did find the staff to be personable, just generally too busy for a lengthy interaction.  

I never really used the concierge staff, but they were always smiling and quick to acknowledge our presence when we entered.  We also didn't leave the ship this trip, so I don't have any direct experience with priority debarkation.  Again, that's not a reflection on the concierge staff.  No doubt, had I required their services, they would have been very helpful.

I WAS disappointed in the dining.  The service was impeccable, but the preparation was not.  I had a few outstanding meals, but for the most part, the restaurant didn't live up to the hype for me.  Having said that, the offerings in the Haven are certainly better than what's offered in the MDR.  If you're a lobster lover, being able to have it every night is a huge bonus.  The Delmonico is most definitely better than anything that you will find in the included restaurants. I found the breakfasts and the lunches to be delicious.

We have done the Vibe in the past, on the Epic, if I recall.  That experience was definitely a step above the Haven sundeck.  The Haven area was quiet and comfortable,  but there isn't a bar.  I seem to remember a small pool in the Vibe, but I may be wrong.  There is a hot tub in the Haven sun deck.

I do agree that the Horizon Lounge is a totally wasted opportunity.  If I was running the world, as I often wish that I were, there would be a bar in that area.  They would also have the donuts in the morning, instead of in the afternoon, LOL! 

As I've said previously, I would NEVER pay full fare for the Haven.  This cruise was only the second time that we paid anything at all to upgrade, and the first time that we were ever in a standard penthouse suite.  In the past, our upgrades were to the 2BR, which is an entirely different cabin experience.  Cabin 14778 is definitely a step above a balcony, but I would probably not bother to upgrade to this category again.  All in, our cruise was about $3,500.  To me it was a good value.  Had it been more than that, probably not for us.

I'll be interested to see what your take is.  At any rate, have a great time!!!!!

23 minutes ago, CDR Benson said:

 

The Good Mrs. Benson and I will be occupying 14778 for our cruise on Joy in September.  Other than the tub-shower death-trap, is there anything else you'd care to relate about staying in that suite?  We'd certainly appreciate getting any direct knowledge.

 

 

Loved the balcony.  It's large enough to add one lounger.  It's quiet, convenient (right at the bottom of the stairs and very close to an elevator), and has plenty of space.  You'll love it.

I agree 100% with your assessment.....but we did have slippers (which I  never used, wish that I knew you were looking for a pair) and robes on the first day, LOL!

We also met our butler on Day 2.  She definitely conveyed that we should call her with any requests, and  kept iced tea and m&ms stocked, but our attempts to convey what we would and wouldn't like for our afternoon snacks weren't taken to heart.  We've had considerably better butlers in the past.

The bar is ridiculously small for the number of cabins in the Haven.  My husband spent one afternoon there with folks that he met, but by and large,  you pretty much had to muscle up to the bar and grab a drink to take elsewhere.  I also saw rude passengers who felt as if the barstools were meant to hold their belongings, which is particularly annoying when there are so few seats to begin with.  I would also expect that the Haven would have less pre-made mixers (bloody mary mix for example), but they don't.

I actually preferred the food at breakfast and lunch in the Haven dining room to the dinners.  I did have an amazing Delmonico steak, and thought that the lobster was good.  The crabcakes were God-awful.  Other misses were the raviolo, the prime rib, and the veal. At lunch the shrimp scampi and the burger were the highlights.

As an aside, I recommend that any wine drinkers pay the upgrade charge per glass rather than drink the included wines, so ask for a wine list and choose wisely.  I spent Day 2 of the cruise deathly ill from drinking crap wine.  

This was only our second time in the Haven proper.  The majority of our NCL cruises have been in the suites with an assigned Butler on the smaller ships.  Perhaps that's why we've had such outstanding service from our Butler and Steward in the past.  I also thought that the Joy was a little weird compared to our other NCL experiences.  I couldn't really pinpoint why, but there was something about the design and vibe that just felt off to me. That said, I would never pay full fare for the Haven experience.  We've been fortunate that the Casino has either awarded us the upgraded category, or allowed us to pay a reduced fare.  All in all I thought that it was a great cruise, but like you, it wasn't because of the Haven experience.

23 hours ago, aubreyc1988 said:

I'm 34 years old and in decent shape...i think if you had a drink or two and were going to take a shower, an accident could occur. There was a little handle that even I used to get in and out of. I don't think all Haven rooms have only a tub/shower combo. The tub was nice and deep, but we never used it, would prefer just a shower. If someone was even just a little bit handicapped, this tub would be a problem. 

 

I've never sailed in a club balcony so I cannot weigh in on that. 

 

Edited to add that I am 5'3, the top of the tub came up to the top of my thigh. 

LOL!  I was on the same cruise in 14778 and I had the same thought about the tub.  I'm a good number of years past 34 but still in decent shape and I was sure that one of us was going to face plant coming out after a shower.  The combination of the deeper than average tub and those weird shower doors was potentially lethal!!!!

I got the rejection email around 6 last night.  I'm not sure what the motivation is for keeping the bid as pending until the bitter end. I can't imagine that even if they get a full priced offer at the last minute they would kick someone out who already was awarded the upgrade  Maybe it's a ploy to make us bid higher next time,  LOL!  Can't wait to board today!  Spent the night at the Miami International Hotel at the airport.....AWFUL!

15 minutes ago, texas poker said:

Has anyone on the Joy tomorrow heard about their bids?

I have not.  The Haven is showing as sold out, and has been as of last night.  That happened a couple of times in days prior, but this is the first time that it stuck.  I would assume at this point that they have assigned all of the cabins, though I still have the opportunity to make a new bid or modify my current bid.  It definitely makes you wonder.  I never expected to get the upgrade (bid $370pp for a 2BR large balcony from a Haven penthouse), so I'm not disappointed.  It would be my luck that now that the tags are printed, attached, and I'm on my way to the airport, that I get an e-mail, LOL!

1 hour ago, Lionkingrichard said:

Log into your account and check your room number. Mine changed 2 hours before I got the email.

Still have my original cabin and still have the opportunity to upgrade, LOL!  There are 4 2BRs with Large Balcony available, so I'll just keep waiting patiently.😁

So yesterday I looked and the Haven was sold out.  I figured that my offer had been rejected (admittedly it was a lowball offer, so I wasn't surprised) and I finally printed my docs and tags.  Today several 2BRs with the large balcony are back in inventory.  I still have the chance to bid.  LOL,  I sail on the 5th.  Could they take this any closer to the wire? At least I passed my Covid test this morning, so that anxiety is over!😀

22 minutes ago, wolft927 said:

So got the email this morning...Upgraded to the 2 bedroom Haven Suite on the Breakaway March 6th. 

Congrats!  I'm pretty sure that my bid is rejected, though I'm 3 days out and they're still trying to get me to bid.  I think that they REALLY want me to bid on the 2BR minus the large balcony, and I'm not interested, LOL.  I love the 2BR cabins, especially the bathroom, but I don't want to give up my 97 sf balcony for 43....I may be regretting that after a couple of nights of sharing one large space with DH, but oh well!

4 minutes ago, Sthrngary said:

You will love it.  Here is a video that my help you.  Have a list of three bottles of Spirits you will like in your suite and the type of mixers you want.  The mixers will be replaced on consumption.  If you have 3-4 person in the suite, ask for additional lounge chairs for your HUGE balcony.  Also, ask for additional Haven Robes and Slipper for the extra people.  

 

Video on the H2 Deluxe Owners Suite with Large Balcony: 

 

Cruise well!!!

 

Do you still get the  bottles of alcohol if you upgrade thru the bidding process?  When you bid it does say that you don't get any additional amenities.  I know that the double latitude points are excluded if you weren't already booked in a suite category...I wonder if the booze is as well.  That's not a category that I've ever upgraded to, so just wondering.

2 hours ago, wolft927 said:

Leaving on the Breakaway Sunday, anyone here anything on there upgrades? Last December we found out we won the upgrade the Monday before

We leave Saturday on the Joy and still haven't heard yet.  Bid for the 2BR Large Balcony.  We currently have the Haven Suite with the slanted balcony, so I didn't want to take a chance on the standard 2BR and get a smaller balcony.  Honestly, I'm fine if we don't get it, but it is aggravating that they are willing to wait until a few days out to decide. Yesterday there were 5 cabins in that category unassigned.