graphicguy

Yay....Allure of the Seas is my favorite Royal Ship! Looking forward to this...Thanks!

That's a major truth! Not interested in any round, square, oblong, etc sad hash browns, on NCL...or anywhere else for that matter.

So, the question becomes, and this is true of any product or service, comparing prices for 3 months, what is the fare/price? That’s the number you should be looking at. 35% off? 70% off? That doesn’t matter. The amount of money you have to pull out of your wallet is the key and the only thing that matters!

I tell folks regularly that if they feel the $22/day/pp for tips for the drink package is too much, just don't add it to the cruise. This has gone round and round in these threads for years. Either you want to have it or you don't. Free at Sea (FAS) is made up of.... -free drinks, but you pay for the gratuities -free specialty dining, but you pay for the gratiuites -free internet (but it's limited by the number of free minutes you can use) -free excursions...there are some that will be free after the $50 excursion credit, but way more are more expensive, in which case they deduct $50 from the price If you look at drink prices, a cocktail will run roughly between $10-$12. A beer will cost $8-$10. A glass of wine will cost somewhere in the $9 to $15 range. Sodas don't cost anything. Fruit juices don't cost anything. Bottled water they charge for, but the filtered water out of the tap is probably more pure than anything in a bottle. So, you figure if you drink a couple of drinks/day, and paying for the tips on just the drink package is worth it. Hope that helps.

I'm trying to work up some empathy for you. Let's see? Nope! Can't do it! 😉

You'll get no complaints from me if they did.

Please no! There is only one place I'll get hasnbrowns. It's not from any cruise line's restaurant.... https://www.ajc.com/entertainment/dining/your-guide-waffle-house-hash-browns/u6FvGwLoPboYIaz6hFukGP/

I'm a betting man, and my bet those signs may last a few minutes, at most.

Luminae and Haven Restaurant are more similar than different. Certainly the menu choices are unique to either, but the experiences are very similar. That said, I always ask people what they think would be appropriate? I don't know that Haven Restaurant or Luminae will be more or less tolerant than in the MDRs. I'm all for casual. I did a dance around my luggage when I didn't have to pack a tie or dress shirts any more. Personally, I think long pants might only have a place in colder climates. But boy, have I seen some swim suits (or should I say the bodies in those swim suits) under coverups (because those really aren't that good at covering up anything) that I'd rather not be subject to. Do yourself, and others around you, a favor. At least change into some shorts over the swim suit. Those who are dining around you will appreciate it.

Yeah...that's a question only you can answer. Personally, I'll chintz out on a lot of things......underwear, Birthday Cards, umbrellas....vacations are hard for me to do that, though. If I worry about how much I'm spending, and I already budgeted for the cruise, last thing I want to do while on vacation is worry about if I can save a buck by not waking up to the view of the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean, or sit out on my balcony at night and drink a night cap. That's an integral part of my cruise.

Now...that's a good idea!

That's really cool. I had forgotten that there was a big open space where they usually put pool(s). First time I saw it close up.

OP...probably the better question is what is your budget? We already know your intended itinerary. But, we don't know how much you're willing to spend? That will determine your cabin type.

No one was charged.... I posted pics of cookies everywhere. I personally found them on my Prima sailing. Point is, someone posts here, true or not, and it spreads like wildfire as fact.

Lobster is available in the Haven. Someone said they charged extra for extra lobsters. That proved to be untrue. So, what is the argument? Just curious, how many lobsters would it take to be satiated? 5? a dozen? What's the number?

Sometimes the stars align, the moon blocks the sun, I find 4-leaf clovers in my yard.....LOL! Have mentioned before, like you, I shop cruises like a fiend.

Great! Thank you! I'll check her out.

Frankly, if someone does not see the value in the Haven, it's probably not worth booking a Haven cabin. Same goes for the Yacht Club on MSC, Retreat on Celebrity or Star Class on Royal. All of them have their promoters and detractors. One thing that's common to all, no matter how much is offered, some always want more. I've personally have witnessed some crazy requests from Haven guests... (I just deleted a lengthy list of those I witnessed...some egregious enough that the CC mods might not like them). If the Haven service and "perks" are not enough, save your money. Don't book the Haven.

Well...the saving grace is, your videos look good. Mine look like they were filmed by a derelict (which come to think of it.......LOL!).

Yay...sexay lady....!!!!!

Posted this over on the roll call, but as we've noted, not much shaking over there. I agree about the pool deck sailaway meet up likely to be crazy. The outside bar at Cavern Club is nice, if anyone wants to meet up there say....around 5:30? Sailaway is at 6.

Hey Henry...Mentioned it over on your live review, but truly enjoyed it. Thanks! Thanks to all the other contributors who were your sail mates. It helps being in the Apple ecosystem. I travel with one of those multi- "mag-safe magnetic chargers". The iPhone becomes my nightstand clock, charging stand when set up horizontally. Those also charge my Apple Watch and my AirPods. So, just one connection for all of that. I do have to have a separate charger for my MacBook. That is probably the biggest charger I carry. The only other thing I charge is the Insta360 camera. But, it fits in the case with the camera. BTW....the little camera portion is magnetic and you can attach it to your shirt. Really nice (and way less bulky than a GoPro) way to video without having harnesses and/or "sticks" to carry around. Plus, it leaves your hands "free". As mentioned, it's been a little over a decade since I've been to Bermuda. While I doubt it's changed much, I am really looking forward to going back. Plus, while the Joy is the typical Breakaway plus ship (for those of you who are unfamiliar, the Joy, Escape, Encore are Breakaway plus ships, the largest in the NCL fleet), I am looking forward to seeing the refurb changes. @Laszlo..thanks for the suggestions. Not a "kayaker", per se. But, a private island tour might be on the agenda. Any suggestions for the private tour? Anyone you recommend? Will be following your trip, too!

As everyone says, each individual's calculator is different. I'm different than my good friend @ChiefMateJRK. No wrong answers here. Personally, I get claustrophobic (just ask the last Dr who ordered an MRI for me). So, while I've had inside cabins (NCL's solo cabins), I didn't like it. Not like being in a tube, but a little too confined for me. Anyway, my cabin pricing begins with Ocean Views. In general, the delta between an Ocean View and Balcony cabin is usually $200 or less....sometimes much less. Club Balcony is the same as a Balcony cabin, just with a bigger bathroom, something I care little about. So, unless it's an exceptional deal, I don't book Club Balconies. On the Jewel Clas, the non-Haven suites are the best deals on the ships. You get all the Haven amenities except for the teeny-tiny Haven pool area. And, they are significantly less than the Haven. Price threshold? $500 over a Balcony. Haven...I have a crazy set of rules for the Haven. First, the Haven on Breakaway class and above (including Epic) are the only Havens I'll consider. Spirit class has no Haven and Jewel Class I covered above...just too small. Using arbitrary numbers (but numbers I've personally seen given I've sailed NCL quite a bit), if the Haven is any more than $1,500-$2,000 more than a Balcony, I'll punt. But, if the Haven is less than $5K all in, I'll look at it. If it's under $4,500 all in, I'm booking it. Those fares are per cabin, not per person. I figure Balconies will run anywhere between $2,500-$3,000 for 7 nites, depending on ship, dates and itinerary. What is interesting are NCL's new solo Balcony Cabins. Being a (sometimes) solo, those would interest me quite a bit.

Yeah....Disney is a whole different animal, especially financially. I still don't get their cruise fares, either. I did a little financial comparison a long time ago when looking at cruises vs other types of vacations. Cruises always came out on top, plus I was overlooking beautiful waters and visiting multiple exotic locales along the way. Spent a month in Europe last year. About 2 weeks of it was sailing around the Mediterranean. I was in a 2BR Haven Suite on the Epic in Spain, France and Italy. Spent another weeks on land while in Italy visiting relatives. My land based portion cost me 3X what the cruise cost. Cruising is the better value.

Do it!!!!!!!!!