SplashOfWater

OBC amounts:

We did a similar B2B in 2017 (Boston - Quebec City - Boston). No issues. Same cabin both legs so no need to pack at the end of the first cruise! It was one of our favorite cruises...enjoy!

Ship - Serenade of The Seas Deck - 9 Stateroom # - 9260 Stateroom Category – Spacious Oceanview Balcony Starboard or Port Side - Aft Quiet Stateroom? Yes Was stateroom a connecting stateroom? - No Balcony View - Huge balcony with gorgeous aft views. Was wind a problem? - No If an aft cabin, was soot a problem? - No Any specific problems with this cabin? - Just some difficulty getting the scooter into the cabin because of the narrow hallway (it took a few tries). Cabin 9258 would be a better option for scooter access as it's almost a straight line from the hallway into the cabin. Any other comments? - 1) My husband rented a small scooter for this cruise and it fit well in the cabin. He was able to turn it around in the cabin without any problems. 2) The main hallway doors (by the atrium) are closed at 9pm in the evenings due to loud music in the atrium. If you have mobility issues, it can be difficult or impossible to open the heavy door without assistance. 3) The hallway from the elevators to the aft cabins is quite long. I counted about 145 steps from the hallway entrance to our cabin.

We stayed in 12702 on the Joy in 2019. We liked the layout of this Oceanview cabin better than the standard ones where the head of the bed is against the window. It felt more spacious.

Thank you so much for your review and sharing your vacation with us! We will be in the Escape Haven in January and can't wait! Save travels!

The Sun has the best Club Balcony cabins in the NCL fleet.

The perks I listed are for a full Suite. The Club Balcony cabins do not receive the Suite benefits. I agree that the extra cost of the Club Balcony cabin is not worth it for the few additional perks over a Balcony cabin.

I have also used the Libby app for years to download ebooks and audiobooks from my county library. I was on the Prima in January and used the app to connect to the Prima's library. I didn't download anything since I already had a couple of audiobooks for my 7-day cruise. So, I just checked the app on my phone and I can still see all the books in the Prima's library (weird, since I'm not onboard). There are 299 titles across 64 subjects (no audiobooks). This is a much smaller selection than what is available through my county's library.

That's a great upgrade price for 12 nights! Enjoy!

With a winning bid you won't get the extra FAS benefits (maybe one more specialty dinner, extra Latitudes point per night), but you'll still get the other suite perks (breakfast/lunch for suite guests, concierge, butler). If the price is right, don't leave it to chance with an upgrade bid.

Upgrade to the suite. We paid to upgrade from an Oceanview to a Suite on the Dawn last November and it was worth it. More space in the cabin plus breakfast and lunch for suite guests in one of the specialty restaurants. I think the menus were the same ones as the Haven on other ships. You also have a concierge who will escort you off the ship at ports and debarkation (skipping the long lines). If the price is right, do it.

We also find the NCL non-Haven deposits to be very reasonable compared to Royal. You generally have to pay a premium for a refundable deposit with Royal. And I think their deposit for suites is now non-refundable(?) with no option for a refundable deposit. This includes their junior suites.

We stayed in a similar cabin (12702 on the Joy) for an Alaska cruise in 2019. We liked the layout better than the standard oceanview cabin (the bed was sideways rather than facing the doorway). It just felt roomier. There is a wide shelf just below the window with extra storage. Some of the cons are: 1) You need to keep the curtains closed at night so the light from the cabin does not interfere with the bridge (which is above you), 2) there is a relatively long walk to the forward elevators, 3) if you are sensitive to the ship's motion, this cabin may not be for you. Would we book a forward oceanview cabin again? Yes, it was a great cabin.

We sailed on the Dawn in 2017 & 2018 and enjoyed sailing on her again in 2022. The food and live entertainment were good, and the ship was in great shape. She doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the newer mega ships, but that's fine with us. We prefer the smaller ships for a more low-key vacation.

On Jewel we received once a day service in our Oceanview cabin. Our service was completed by late morning or early afternoon. Other guests received service later in the afternoon or evening. The notice in the Cruise Compass stated that Junior Suites and up would still receive twice a day service.

Correct. From our March 3rd Jewel Cruise Compass:

We had the new menus on our Jan 30 Mariner 4-day cruise.

Yes, we had breakfast a couple of times at Johnny Rockets on Harmony last year.

We just got off Mariner and had the early seating. Our SeaPass card and the sign outside the Deck 3 dining room showed 5:30pm, but the Cruise Compass had 5pm. The dining room opened about 5:15pm. MTD was also on Deck 3. The sign and Cruise Compass both had 6:45pm. But it seemed like they started to seat the MTD guests at 6pm at the empty tables.

Received it while on Mariner on the last day of our cruise!

We just got off Mariner too. We found the MDR meals to be a mixed bag. Some dishes were very good and others were mediocre. For instance, on the first night (Welcome Aboard menu), my husband had the prime rib and it was tender and perfectly cooked. I had the fish filet (mystery white fish) and it was nothing special. The length of the MDR service seemed slower than our previous cruises in the fall. I don't think it was an issue with our wait staff. Traditional dining was 5:30pm. It seemed like they started to seat My Time Dining at 6pm (at the available empty tables). The wait staff had to go back to the kitchen and get more appetizers and main courses. It really slowed the dessert service for Traditional dining.

We just got off Mariner and there were only 12oz cans of Bud Light and the bars.

We just got back from a 4-day cruise on Mariner. I had prepaid for the Bud Light bag. Nothing was delivered to our cabin on Day 1. I called Guest Services that evening and the lady said they would email the Bar Manager and it would be delivered in the morning. Day 2 nothing by 1pm, so another call to Guest Services. The lady apologized and said she would contact the Bar Manager. Still nothing by the end of Day 2. I went to Guest Services after breakfast on Day 3 and the lady called the Bar Manager, but no answer. I asked for a refund since this was becoming a hassle and we only had two days left in the cruise. The credit appeared on my onboard account. I hope others have better luck receiving the bag. I've ordered another Bud Light bag for our March 3 cruise. Fingers crossed!

There is a small lounge on Deck 9 above O'Sheehans. You can access it from the curved stairs on Deck 8 in the Atrium or the passenger hallway on Deck 9 near the mid (I think) elevators.

In app: Day 4 - Italian Night