Nilbog

Not very smart on dress codes, so we didn't eat there. 🤪

Having just got off the Pearl, I found the NCL app to be very limited in its use pre-cruise. You can't do very much on it at all until you connect to the ship's wi-fi. This was very distressing, as pre-cruise I couldn't even see deck plans, so I'd made other arrangements through another app to download deck plans to have available for my cruise. Once on board, the app was very useful, but if you leave the ship's wi-fi for any reason (in a port, or simply lose you connection) the app is useless.

I cannot speak personally of the Dawn, but I just got off the Pearl and shorts/sandals were frequently seen in both main dining rooms. The professed dress code for Le Bistro is smart casual, but we didn't eat there, so I can't attest to what was worn and/or acceptable there. The aft dining room on the Pearl is the Summer Palace and we ate there frequently on our 11-day cruise and I often wore shorts and a t-shirt, and even sandals on some nights.

Just off the Pearl, and I can say with confidence the standard unlimited plan left a lot to be desired. Part way through the cruise my wife upgraded to the streaming package and she was getting better Internet service than I was on the standard unlimited plan. Connection speed was more important to her than it was to me, so I just muddled through. I was on vacation and not required to be connected to anything in particular, so it was sufficient for me.

Thanks for all your help. The cruise was a success, but our butler was a disappointment. We rarely saw him, and even though we left direction for our preferred afternoon snacks and drinks he continually brought things we asked him not to bring, and while a fruit plate was one of the snacks we said was preferred, one day he brought a fruit plate better left for a suite of 12-15, not just the two of us. All said and done we gained personal experience into what the butler can and cannot do, and how much we need to push for what we'd like to see. On the other hand, the concierge, Nashira, was AWESOME!

Amy said there's something sweet about Sapphire level to her, and that's what's important. There's no need to downplay her feelings with snarky comments. So Sapphire doesn't hold any allure to you, that's ok. But to her, it's important.

Even with all the answers already given, it can't hurt to ask your cabin steward if he can open it up for you. It's been a few years since we travelled with others, but they opened the balcony for us when we asked.

That's what friends are for...

Also, the club balcony suite is not considered a suite when awarding Latitude points. The other suites (Haven and penthouse) get an extra point for day of the cruise.

Awesome! We’re on a cruise over thanksgiving and this means we should see some of the decorations.

With My Time Dining the key is to make a reservation. At the dining room there will be two lines, one for those with reservations and one for those without. The “with reservation” line moves pretty quickly, while the “without reservation” line moves much slower. If you have MTD make sure to make reservations for each night you want to eat in the dining room. If you’re doing somewhere else for dinner, you don’t need the MTD reservation. Our first night the lines weren’t clearly marked, so make sure you make the reservation then look for that line at the dining room.

If you look at the top of the graphic, the explanation shows “upgrade for guests 1 and 2” indicating one package (Qty 1) applies to both guests. I had this same question on mine, until I read into it some more.

Only if his name is Alfred

Use the app once connected to the shipboard wi-fi.

Then we’ve got it maid. No diapers to change, no walking our dogs, no cooking or cleaning, and I’ll have someone to loofah my back in the shower. Thanks for the heads up! 🤪

We're 276 days out from our cruise and the Internet, drink, and dining packages are available now.

IMHO the best place to book a club balcony suite is aft-facing. We were in one on the Pearl during our Panama Canal cruise and it was wonderful. The only better cabin we've found is an aft wrap balcony where you end up with balcony facing aft and wrapping around the side. You get a nearly 270 degree view with those. Unfortunately, they are few and far between, and are usually booked very early.

We board the Pearl in 11 days, and it's our first time in a suite on NCL. What are some of the things you have the butler do? All the NCL website talks about is unpacking your luggage. Thanks in advance.

When we cruised out of PC last month, the scooter companies were right outside the terminal where you drop your luggage off. You picked up your scooter there and rode it through the terminal all the way through boarding. You dropped off the scooter after clearing customs and went outside the terminal.

We've done Alaska twice, once on NCL and once on Royal. On Royal we went to Hubbard Glacier and on NCL we went to Glacier Bay (among other ports, of course). NCL was round trip from Seattle and Royal was northbound from Vancouver. We loved both cruises. I'm not sure you can go wrong with an Alaska cruise.

Or at least not post them publicly. It's nice to have memories on file of the things one has seen in the places one has gone...😘

A couple years ago we took the train from Seward to Anchorage, but not as an excursion. The scenery was beautiful! As mentioned before, the train slows/stops at some points for scenery, such as salmon swimming in a creek (we stopped right on the bridge to get good pictures facing downward), moose near the tracks, or scenic glaciers. It's about a 4 hour train ride. We were heading all the way to Fairbanks, so took the train the next day out of Anchorage. If the Gold Dome tickets are within your budget, it's a better ride. Also, Alaska hires tour guides to narrate the trips so you get to learn things along the way, and they point out particularly scenic areas.

Call them up and ask the question. What's the worst they can say, no? If you never ask the question, the answer is always no.

We did the Radiance to Alaska and really enjoyed the ship. I'm sure you'll have a great time. Besides, you'll be on a cruise, and that's always a great time!

I can confirm that as of last month (September) shows are booked once you board, so you'll have just as much chance as anyone else of getting into your preferred show time.