OneParticularHarbour 71

For ages 3-12, there is the Oceaneer's Club and there is the Oceaneer's Lab. The two spaces are separated but connected by a hallway. The Club is geared to the younger kids and the Lab to the older kids, though the kids can choose to participate in either space. It used to be that DCL separated by age groups but so many people complained that siblings, cousins, friends, etc. couldn't be together that it was changed several years ago.

Each day there will be Open House time in either the Club or the Lab. This is a time when anyone can come into the space to participate. During Open House time in the Club, the Lab will be open for secured programming (so all age groups will be in one space), and vice versa.

Edited to add for others with older kids who may be reading:

Edge is the tween space - ages 11-14

Vibe is the teen space - ages 14-17

There is some overlap of ages - the kids can choose which space they prefer.

Too many new policies for my taste (on NCL). Charge for room service' date=' charge for pizza, taking food away from any "food eating area" is forbidden, etc. No, I don't take food to my room on any cruise line....at least not often. But it bothers me to be told that I can't do it if I wish.

 

Forget the joke of calling it a "tip." If the money is pooled and is charged with no way of changing the charge while on board it is a "service charge." Just be up front and bill it in advance. Make a separate line on the invoice and don't mess with the joke of making it seem optional.[/quote']

 

I just want to clarify some of NCL's new policies for those who may be contemplating sailing with them. As longtime DCL cruisers, we decided to try NCL last month and were nervous about what to expect (especially after reading so much about their recent changes). Turned out we had a great cruise! We sailed on their newest ship for 7 nights for less than the 3 night we were looking at on the Dream (departing the same weekend).

 

Anyway, to elaborate on the NCL changes listed in Moki'sMommy's post above...

 

There is a 7.95 fee for room service (limited continental breakfast is free though).

 

Free pizza was available all day at the buffet (which was open waaayyy longer then DCL's buffet). There was a pizza delivery service where you could order a pizza and have it delivered to you anywhere you wanted it. I *think* the fee was 5.00.

 

From what I had read, a few months ago NCL did try to prohibit people from taking food "to go" but after many passenger complaints they reversed that policy. On our cruise last month we could take food to go.

 

I did find it frustrating that I couldn't really find out who the service charge was going to. I left it in place so no one got stiffed and we also gave a little extra to certain people that I thought deserved it but who knows if they got to keep it for themselves or not.

All the way forward on deck 16 are suites. Not sure they would share their balconies. That is Haven area's and off limits unless you live there. Perhaps you meant another deck?

It is all the way forward on the same deck as the Vibe which I thought was deck 16. Vibe and the Haven area were more starboard, this was past Vibe, on the port side.

You may want to consider Vibe passes, very quiet and no kids. If you get onboard early enough you may want to consider a Vibe cabana.

Another place that was really quiet on our cruise was all the way forward on deck 16. My daughter and her friends discovered this and hung out there at night - there was no one else ever there. I went looking for her there a couple of times during the day too and it was empty then as well.

On the 8/22 cruise, it was Shannon McNally.

MDR (last night):

I'd love to see those. My biggest worry is I won't like mdr food. I'm such a picky eater.

I have 3 MDR dinner menus. I also have most of the specialty restaurant menus, let me know if you need any of them...

MDR:

MDR:

Thanks for the offer, but I've decided that with 21 possible menus, and no way of knowing which ones will be in rotation, my mission is futile.

Ok, good luck to you! Here are the classic dishes that seem to be on each night's menu - maybe you could transcribe this portion to save a little bit of time each night...

We were on this cruise too!

I didn't like having to try to keep track of the towels either but both of our room stewards would replace them when they cleaned the cabins if I left them on the bathroom floor with the other towels. On a couple of occasions, one steward forgot to leave new ones when he took the dirty ones but when I asked them for them, he brought them right in. At the end of the cruise, we actually ended up with extra pool towels because he would leave new ones in the room when he cleaned, even if the towels weren't in the cabin when he came in because we had them with us at the pool.

I found it annoying having to keep track of them with the kids, etc. but it turned out we ended up with extras in the end.

Sounds like they are not consistent in how they are handled. :confused:

I have few more for dinner in MDRs, will post later today...

Savor Lunch:

O'Sheehan's:

Noodle Bar:

Kids menu (at lunch and dinner all week):

Breakfast (Taste/Savor):

Embarkation Day lunch (Savor) (we saw this menu repeated later in week as well):

Maybe someone who just got off yesterday will answer, but we got off last weekend and they were roped off during our cruise. The splash area was open just the 2 slide things were roped off.

We got off the Getaway last weekend. I have a few of the MDR menus I can post later.

Also, before you type out the kids menu that was posted by a PP, we never saw that one - the one we had all week was much shorter.

Sorry, that should be 8/22! :)

At the terminal now waiting to board, the new itinerary is:

Sunday - Nassau

Mon- at sea

Tues- Ocho Rios Jamaica

Wed - at sea

Thurs- Cozumel

Fri- at sea

Thanks for the quick response!

Hi all,

I am at Target shopping for toiletries for our trip on the Getaway next week. What is provided in the bathrooms? I think I read somewhere that there isn't any soap for the sink?

What do you bring?

Thanks!

Why would they change? Those are typical kids favorites:confused:

Most of our cruises with the kids have been on Disney and the kids menu changes every night. The basics like chicken fingers, mac n cheese, pizza, etc are there each night but they also add a few different entrees that change each night. They have have had things like roast beef, turkey, pasta alfredo, veggie lasagna, even surf n turf. A soup and dessert also change. It is nice for those kids that don't want the typical kids stuff every night but are not ready for the adult menu yet.

Apparently some ships have kid sections and some don't, but all have plenty of kid friendly foods. At least the buffets on Getaway and Epic have about anything and everything you can imagine. My picky, picky eater was in heaven. Neither of those have specific kids' sections, but kid friendly stuff is everywhere.

Good to know, thanks! One of my 3 kids is a picky eater, so it sounds like he should be ok. His favorite is chicken tenders, lol.

That's when you choose it. Are you sailing from NYC?

No, we are sailing on Getaway out of Miami.

Yes and yes.

Thanks.

Is there a kids section in the buffet? Or are there kid friendly foods there such as chicken tenders?

You absolutely stand a chance! Go do your online check in now and choose an early port arrival time.

Where do you choose your port arrival time? We did our online check in this week for our cruise next month and I didn't see that option.

Thanks for the replies!

Personally I don't like not knowing how much is going to a particular crew member. Most of our cruises over the past few years have been on Disney. They let you know how much of your auto tip is going to each crew member. You are able to adjust that amount as you see fit.

However, I also don't want to remove the service charge on NCL and tip individual crew members as then I would be afraid that someone behind the scenes that I was not aware was receiving part of the service charge would get left out.

I think I will leave them in place and then give an additional amount to those who we feel deserve it.

Thanks for posting a picture! Are the children's menus the same every night? And are they the same in the specialty restauarants as they are in the MDRs?