mvdude111

I liked the breakfast option at Uptown Grill. Their breakfast sandwiches and ham and cheese pastry. Will miss that as we're sailing both the Escape and Getaway next month.

We've enjoyed it on the Getaway. It was a nice way to have lunch on a sea day, and then take a nap. There was a lot of wine pouring LOL. Believe me they will pour you wine!

We did this in 2010 and had a blast. It was so much fun and the people who were at our cooking station were also a blast. Word of caution, they keep the drinks flowing. We didn't do shots and some were absolutely plastered LOL. The beach free time on the lounge chairs with drinks was fun too. It wasn't a long ride back to the pier. You'll have fun. I'd definitely recommend this excursion.

We buy the dining package each time. I think the quality of food is worth it. Also, you can eat at any other dining rooms for lunch. Now they offer flexibility with the dining package, as you can purchase three, four, five and six nights, or all nights of a seven day cruise. Before, we had to purchased the UDP for the entire sailing.

We've purchased the UBP on each NCL cruise we've been on, and we have never experienced an issue with limits. Then again, we may have been having fun but never were out of control. Bartenders and bar servers receive a portion of your tips, so they want to make sure you're having a good time. Cheers! BTW, if you are on Breakaway class ship, the outdoor venues are a lot of fun.

Thanks for the detailed review. I appreciate that you provided a lot of valuable information and having taken the time to do it.

This caught my eye as I've been checking for bedbugs every place I stay in a hotel or a ship. There is a website: bedbugregistry dot com. Go there should you suspect. I check that site out before I book a hotel room. Sometimes I've stayed at hotels that had infestations. That doesn't mean your room will have them. Things to do when entering your cabin or hotel room:

- Turn on all lights.

- Set luggage in bathroom. Wrap in plastic bag if possible.

- Inspect bedding by pulling up fitted sheet and mattress.

- Inspect under mattress, piping around edges, and sheets.

- Inspect pillows.

- Look behind headboard if you can.

- Use your mobile phone as a flashlight or bring a flashlight.

- Bedbugs do not like light so they move.

- Bedbugs are small, like black sesame seeds.

- Look for blood stains.

That site that I mentioned above has links to helpful information for the traveler. An earlier poster mentioned chiggers and sand fleas. Both can make a very itchy situation as well. I understand that bedbug bites are predominately around the torso. I would think chiggers and sand fleas bites would likely be around legs and ankles. Hope this helps.

I have been a frequent NCL Platinum cruiser since NCL started cruising year round out of New York. I have always applauded the innovations of NCL like Freestyle Dining and having the courage to sail year round out of New York. My introduction to NCL was on the Norwegian Dawn and I have wonderful memories of that ship. I enjoyed dining at Cagney's and Le Bistro at reasonable rates without mandatory gratuities added. I dined at La Cucina and the Tex-Mex specialty restaurants at no extra charge. I looked forward to lobster and prime ribs in the main dining room at no extra charge. A la carte dining was something uncomprehendable. I received room service 24 hours a day at no extra charge. I enjoyed an aft-facing balcony cabin at no extra charge. I enjoyed all the entertainment venues at no extra charge. I received VIP treatment from Hotel Directors like Klaus and Hugo. I felt the Dawn class ships were the ideal size especially embarking and debarking.

NCL today is almost unrecognizable from my early NCL experiences. Cruising was once touted as a bargain vacation with everything included at no extra charge. Sadly, those days appear to be gone forever and so am I. I will always treasure fond memories of many days on NCL but the current situation on NCL holds no attraction for me at all. Bon voyage.

I concur with your comments. We are platinum and my first cruise was the Epic. It was the best NCL cruise. Since then I've been on the Breakaway and Gem. I've also sailed Celebrity which was the number one cruise experience on the Silhouette. Cruising is clearly ala carte these days. We purchased the beverage package, and the past few cruises the dining package. In the past five or six years of my cruising, I've noticed major differences in the dining experience, especially in Cagney's and main dining. I will say Le Bistro has remained consistent. In the end, we find that we spend $$ in the ala carte and are booking other lines with more inclusive options. We're sailing the Getaway next month and it will likely be out last for a while on NCL. Typically we cruise at least twice per year. We like the casual atmosphere on NCL and they kind of lost me when they discontinued their delicious crab cakes in Cagney's It's funny that we tend to hold onto specific details on a cruise that make or break a decision, in addition to price points.

I enjoyed a nice dry brut in Vibe while in the hot tub....there are a few sparkling options with the UBP. We have purchaed the UBP four times on NCL.

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While this subject has discussed on many-o-posts...

We've purchased the UBP a number of times on NCL. We've never had an issue with drinks covered by the package, and we're martini drinkers too. I just wish that NCL would allow coffee drinks (i.e. I would only order espresso or cappuccino) as included items in the UBP.

Note, there are times when we've not come out ahead of the package, but most of the time we do. FYI...we're not Betty Ford Clinic material.

I was so glad to read on earlier posts that they are allowing UBP purchases during spring break season for those over 25. We were on the Gem during a March sailing and we had to purchase our drinks individually, can you believe that?!:eek:

And, there is Ocean Blue's outdoor on the board walk dining. That is where you can order a lobster roll.

NCL does a nice job at offering their customers dining options.

We've sailed the Breakaway twice, and had spa balconies both times. We purchase the spa on each cruise that we've been. The Breakaway spa pass is expensive. We enjoy the option to sneak away from the crowds and relax.

The last sailing we did was on the January 5, 2014 12 night Southern Caribbean, we purchased Vibe as well. Things to know about Vibe:

(1) It is not always open. So, if you purchase the pass for the entire sailing, you will not be able to access is all of the time.

(2) They closed it on several occasions when the winds were to high. On our sailing, Vibe was closed about 50% of the time. Also, it will not be open unless the weather dictates.

(3) We asked for a refund and they declined. However, we wound up having a nice time in Vibe.

(4) Cabanas were underutilized and more $$. I thought they were not necessary as the loungers were fantastic and comfortable.

We are doing another 12 night on the Breakaway next month, and will likely just purchase day passes only when the weather, and Vibe, permits.

A RC member booked this on our last time on the Breakaway, and they had a great time. We want to book it for our upcoming cruise in January 2015. Does anyone know if they are located close to the ship? We took an excursion not with NCL in St. Lucia and we were the last passengers to board the ship. I don't want to run into that situation again.

We used Dial 7 a couple of times and they were on time and reliable. We parked at Newark airport and their fee was a flat fee and with tolls less than $100.

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Been on the Breakaway twice and we enjoyed eating int he MDR for lunch. The Chicken Milanese was very good. The service was what you would expect. We boarded around 11 a.m.

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Anyone going on the Breakaway for this date?

We were on the 12 night Breakaway sailing in Jan and have sailed both ships twice. We prefer the Gem. The Breakaway is decorated nicely but there are too many bottlenecks for a ship that since. The entertainment on both ships is fantastic. There is no Spinnaker's Lounge on the Breakaway and the Gem packs out that venue every night. We just booked the Gem again and found that we prefer the smaller ships. Overcrowding on the Breakaway made a 12 day sailing a drag at times. However, this was just my take. Happy sailing!

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We were on the Breakaway in November and again this month. FOD on this last sailing was at Maltings at 7pm....it was at Shakers before. We met a lot of nice people and it was well attended every night.

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Nice advertisement. On our last X cruise they didn't have FOD in the daily, but if you asked they would let you know when and where (Martini Bar always). We are booked on the Equinox in November 2014.

We just came back on Friday from the NCL Breakaway, and there were a lot of gays onboard that sailing. However, I'm not inclined to return to NCL. We really like Celebrity.

Yes we are FOD from Chicago......enjoy talking, dancing, going to shows, casino, outdoor activities like the beach etc...shopping is Shaun's passion

he is a very good haggler on prices with the tourists and shopping in general

love to meet you guys and say hello, grab a drink...:D

 

laura and shaun

Great! We will be at the martini bar LOL. See you both there...looking forward to boarding this week.

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Nice example...It would have been funny if you removed one of the little bottles for the last shot.

Anyone else booked?

Booked our cruise as a 14 day RT Boston to Quebec. There are also two shorter 7 day cruise legs that make up that itinerary, so some people disembark in Quebec, new passengers embark there.

Still confused as to whether the 14 day cruise will be treated as a B2B (needing to re-board, receiving a second set of lattitude perks) or if it will be treated as one single cruise.

If you go to their site they have a 14 day cruise to Canada/New England.....so they are treating it a sine sailing online. I wouldn't think you need disembark and could keep the same cabin. They know where you are by your key card.

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Congrats....my first cruise was on the Epic. We were on the Breakaway last week and are going again next month.

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Sailed the Epic once and it was smooth. If the ocean rocks and rolls so does the ship :D. I like the Epic despite is clunky exterior...it's nice inside. The rooms are a little different, but doable. We had a nice time on that ship and I'd do her again.