rhinomike

1 hour ago, Two Wheels Only said:

Probably not.

 

NCL has gotten more strict as far as allowing staterooms connected to a Haven suite to have Haven privileges. It isn't even guaranteed that the minors will be allowed to stay in the connecting stateroom (some have done it, some could not).

 

To guarantee Haven access, book all guests in a Haven suite or two.

 

NCL would rather have 4 people in the suite (your group) and book 3 or 4 other people in the connecting stateroom.

Yes. That is normally my thought. But the room is labeled on the NCL site as “Haven Suite with connecting stateroom”. The description states perfect for families. I should also add that my kids are not minors. They are 20 and 22. 

Maybe I will call NCL and see what they say about it. It would be strange to advertise that way then not allow the connecting room into the Haven or receive the perks. Maybe there is Ana additional charge for that. 

We are looking into booking on the Joy for a Christmas break cruise. We are looking at the Haven room with a connecting stateroom. Me, and my wife in the Haven Suite and my two kids in the connecting room. My questions is this....  with my kids in the connecting stateroom will they be able to get all of the Haven amenities with us?  Thank you. 

3 hours ago, ptf2009 said:

I wish they would have no smoking in the casino or anywhere inside the ship. It's so gross that just walking through the casino causes our clothes and hair to smell like smoke. 

Has anyone been on the Explorer recently? Is it is good condition? Some of the reviews are mixed and very critical.

Just got got off the Explorer last week. She is in good shape.  We had a great time. No smoking anywhere inside the ship. Loved it. Wouldn’t hesitate to book it again. 

On 6/27/2019 at 7:07 PM, Mat7 said:

 

So so we sailed out of Southampton yesterday. We arrived to the port at 9:30am......  we went through security and then a private line for key members.  Fast and short. Sat down for about 15 minutes.  Then boarding began. We were the very first ones to board the ship. The called key members and we went right on.  Quick and simple. 

18 minutes ago, 37645 said:

When you go to add them to your cart by selecting the number of guests etc, it will have the selection for picking the date and here is where you will find the date and time of the activity. 

Thank you. I just gave it a try and you are correct. Except for the behind the scene ship tour. But the others listed a date and time. Thank you. 

I am interested in purchasing a few activities for our cruise this weekend. We are on Explorer of the Sea departing from Southampton. I was interested in Sushi class, cupcake class and the behind the scenes ship tour.....  but it doesn’t list dates or times. Is this normal or am I missing it somewhere?  Do these sale out or can I just reserve them once I am in the ship?  Thank you. 

4 hours ago, Binkybot said:

yours appears to be a category 4b stateroom whereas ours is a category 3b but i am not sure what the difference is between each. I think all it may be is that a 3b sleeps 4 and a 4b only sleeps 2. the balconies are no bigger than a standard room, the rooms are slightly bigger. 

Thank you.  Yes.  I looked it up and our description was correct. Sorry you are having a problem.  But our Spacious Balcony Cabin was only slightly more than the regular balcony cabin.  So it was worth it for us.  

1 hour ago, sandebeach said:

Smoking is not allowed in the Casino when RC ships are ported in the UK or Australia.

Thank you. 😃

We do not smoke and try to avoid smoking areas. What are the rules for smoking and where are the smoking areas on Explorer of the Sea?   My wife was told since our ship departs from Southampton in England there is no smoking allowed in the Casino.  Good for us.  I am worried that people will smoke on their balcony and we won’t like being on our bakaciny. What  are the rules and do people follow them?  Thank you. 

We are seasoned cruisers but first timers on RC. We booked an extra large balcony cabin. Cabin number 8520. Will I be having the same issue?  We paid extra for the larger balcony room instead of the standard size balcony room. Now I am worried that I got bad info too.  

8 minutes ago, blueridgemama said:

 

when I printed my set sail passes there is a key 🔑symbol next to my gold status. You could call and ask but bringing a copy of your confirmation with you would be a good idea. From what I have read they have a list of people who have the Key. When you arrive tell the first official person you see  that you have the Key and hopefully they will direct you to the proper line.

Thank you for the info. Greatly appreciated. 😃

On my cruise paperwork I do not see a picture of the key (like some stated) or any indication that we purchased the program. I have the receipt and confirmation in a separate email. Will this be an issue boarding the ship?  Should I call RC and ask them about it?  Thank you. 

9 minutes ago, blueridgemama said:

 

you only need to make show reservations on Oasis class ships. On all other ships there will be an area of reserved seating for Key members usually in the same area reserved for suite passengers.

12 minutes ago, Host Clarea said:

 

There are no pre-cruise show reservations on Explorer.

Great. Thank you. 😃

8 minutes ago, blueridgemama said:

 

you only need to make show reservations on Oasis class ships. On all other ships there will be an area of reserved seating for Key members usually in the same area reserved for suite passengers.

Thank you. 👍

We are on the Explorer of the Seas next week. We purchased the key for our 14 day cruise. There are 5 of us. We were supposed to have reserved seating in the shows. Now I read some people post that you need to make an advanced reservation to get the reserved seats. I went on my cruise planner and can’t find anywhere to reserve seats. Does anyone know how to do this?  Thank you. 

Great. Thank you. Jeans and T-shirt it is. 

Thank you. 

They won’t turn me away way from the MDR?

Ok. I will let you know. 

6 hours ago, xpcdoojk said:

 

Please do!  Which ship?

 

jc

Will do. Explorer of the Seas. 

On 6/25/2019 at 12:14 PM, Mat7 said:

So has anyone done the key - out of southampton yet? just wondering how the port benefits work there.

Many thanks

We we have the key and will be departing out of Southampton next week. If nobody else chimes in I will let you know how it goes. 

So based on some of the above comments I am not going to chance shorts in the MDR. 

We are leaving in a week. We are spending a month in Europe with only a carryon so space is limited....  

What are peoples thoughts on nice jeans and a T-shirt. Can I get away with that in the MDR?  I would rather not pack slacks and a polo. What about formal night.... Will they allow me in the MDR with nice jeans and a plain T-shirt?  Thank you. 

Thank you to everyone. Lots of good info. 

I should add add that I bought some kind of package called “the key”. It had some perks. I’m not sure all what it offers. I will have to look into it. Does anyone have any advice on that?  Thanks again. 

We are platinum on Carnival and NCL but decided to give RC a try.  We will be sailing on the Explorer of the Sea in a few weeks. Two week Baltic Cruise. Any tips, tricks or stuff we should know?  

What is is the policy brining water onboard. We read 12 per cabin. We drink lots of bottled water. Is this strictly enforced?  

Thank you. 

May family drinks lots of bottled water.  Can we carry on a case or two of bottled water?  If not what is the cheapest way to get bottled water?  Thank you.  

Ok. Great. Thank you for the replies. I am always on time and have never been late so I didn’t know what to expect.