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mesci14

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    NCL Dawn (Boston)

    in Norwegian Cruise Line

    Posted

    My Husband uses a CPap. Will the cord be able to reach the outlet, or should I bring an extension cord?

     

    I do as well and he will need an extension cord as there is none by the bed. CPAP almost long enough, but not quite.

    Specialty Restaurants on the Dawn

    in Norwegian Cruise Line

    Posted

    We enjoyed Moderno and the Mojito bar is right there as well. Cagneys is definitely are favorite, but I forgot about Los Lobos as it is failry new on the Dawn. I have heard rave reviews about Los Lobos. We personally found the food and service at LaCucina lacking. It was our least favorite of the specialty restaurants...my husband is a huge steak fan and that is not really their thing so perhaps that is why it was our least favorite. The room is also rather close quarters if you want a private meal.

    Review the Dawn- May 26th

    in Norwegian Cruise Line

    Posted

    We have cruised on 10+ cruises, sailing Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Celebrity, and Norwegian. We love the Dawn and will have been on her a 3rd time (June 30th, 2017 sailing). We are from Maine and actually traveled to New Orleans this past winter to go on her after the refurb. Our least favorite cruiseline is Royal Carribean...we find that there is very little of interest for us to do on it and find the overall quality not as good as other lines, but like some of the evening shows on the big ships (Just got off the Anthem in February)...we keep trying different RC ships as we never write off an entire line. For an adults only area, we always have a thermal spa pass (which we love!!) We have stayed on the 8th, 9th, and 11th floors. Our favorite spot was on the 11th floor. We have also found the food to be excellent on the Dawn, but if not going to a specialty we go to the Venetian (excellent food and service). The only specialty we haven't tried is the French restaurant. Our least favorite was the Italian and our favorite is probably Cagney's. I guess any cruise is what you make of it. We always try to keep that in mind when writing or reading reviews.

    Dawn Xmas cruise

    in Norwegian Cruise Line

    Posted

    I haven't been on the Dawn over Christmas but have been on two NCL Christmas cruises.

     

    It was magical I loved it! They do Christmas dinner and Christmas carols and decorate the ship and have a show. Reading the two reviews above doesn't sound so brilliant though!!! I cruised in 2013 and 2015 so pretty recently.

     

    If you have a look here: http://cruisingisntjustforoldpeople.co.uk/2016/09/30/cruising-at-christmas/ I have gone through everything that happened and included lots of pictures :-)

     

    Have a brilliant time!! Hopefully it's more like my experience than the other comments... so so jealous.

     

     

    Sent from my iPhone using Forums

     

    Loved your write up and pictures! I hope the cruise is more like that experience too!

    Buffet Etiquette

    in Carnival Cruise Lines

    Posted

    But this is not how the buffet line is supposed to work. You are meant to walk up to the thing you want then walk away. You are not meant to stand in front of counter you are not getting food and block access to it. Often if you walk to the back of the buffet there is no one using those counters, everyone blindly starts queuing at the first counter they see?.

    Sure if there are people waiting at omelet or carvery, wait your turn. But if there no one at counter just walk up to, if people are blocking access to counter they are not using politely say I'm just taking whatever, I think it is lot more inconsiderate for people to block access to counters they are not using and it they used the buffet as should be used, it would flow much better.

     

    That is not accurate. Buffet means a selection of food to choose from, but you must wait your turn in line. Buffet etiquette:

     

    So with Mirza Grotts' help, we bring to you (drum roll, please) ... The 10 Commandments of Cruise Buffet Etiquette:

     

    1. Thou Shalt Not Cut the Line: You wouldn't do it at the grocery store, so don't do it on a cruise ship. Even when someone is lollygagging, you should wait patiently -- though that person should remember there's an entire line of people waiting. If she or he really is taking a long time, it's O.K. to ask if you may pass, but don't just walk around them. Also, if you've already been in line but forgotten one item, like dressing or a tomato, again it's O.K. to ask if you can grab the one item. Asking permission is just courteous behavior.

     

    2. Thou Shalt Not Switch Direction: Buffets go in one direction only. Don't start making your way through the line from the opposite direction. That's the equivalent of cutting the line.

     

    3. Thou Shalt Watch Thy Children: Always escort your young children, say 10 or younger, to the buffet. They need you to remind them to not cut the line and not use their fingers. Food items such as nuts, crudites and bread are tempting for kids to grab with their bare hands. Smaller kids might also be prone to running around and risk bumping into people carrying trays or drinks. Keeping them close to you can prevent unnecessary accidents.

     

    4. Thou Shalt Keep Thy Fingers to Thyself: Kids aren't the only offenders here. Adults are just as likely to grab the top cucumber or the front slice of bread with their hands. Don't do it. There are tongs for a reason.

     

    5. Thou Shalt Not Move Tongs: Speaking of tongs, never, ever move the tongs from one platter or hot food station to another. What if the person behind you has allergies to shrimp and you've just moved the tongs from a shrimp dish to a chicken dish? What if that person is kosher or vegetarian? Be courteous, even if it means you have to wait for someone to bring you another serving utensil. Remember, the food isn't going anywhere.

     

    6. Thou Shalt Not Eat in Line: The food on your plate isn't going anywhere either, so there's no need to start nibbling while you're in line. Unless you're diabetic or hypoglycemic, you're not going to die from waiting a few more minutes to eat.

     

    7. Thou Shalt Not Take More Than Thou Can Eat: Buffet dining, by its very nature, is gluttonous, but that doesn't mean you have to be a glutton. Don't load up your plate; take a few items on your first pass through the line, then go back for seconds if you still want more. Similarly, don't take the last piece of something; it's rude to leave the people behind you with nothing. Instead, alert a server that the item needs to be replenished, and wait for the refill before serving yourself. It's the polite thing to do.

     

    8. Thou Shalt Use a New Plate Each Time: If you go back for seconds, leave your dirty plate at the table and get a fresh one each time. Your fork has touched the dirty plate, so you don't want the serving spoon or tongs to touch it.

     

    9. Thou Shalt Wash Thy Hands: Sticking with the hygiene theme, always wash your hands before getting in the buffet line. You might not be touching the food directly, but you will be handling the serving utensils. You wouldn't want the person in front of you touching everything with dirty hands; don't be that guy to the person behind you.

     

    10. Thou Shalt Not Make a Doggie Bag: There are no doggie bags at buffets, no exceptions. On a cruise ship, you can make a phone call to room service 24/7 and get food, so there's never a need to bag anything.

    No bottle:diabetics,no caffeine,no sugar....

    in Carnival Cruise Lines

    Posted

    I feel bad for the OP. I think what the OP meant by using the word "platinum" is that she has been loyal to the company and perhaps should be able to expect some consideration or loyalty in return. I am not platinum, but don't take the same quick offense that other people did. People become snarky too quickly. This person has some real medical issues, booked the cruise with certain expectations and now is faced with canceling and losing their money, drinking something they don't like to drink(I personally have never loved water-any kind), They obviously have done searching and HAVE found what they like to drink. People who book at this point on I have no sympathy for; you knew what you were getting. I have sympathy however for the OP and hope that special needs can help them. I know exceptions are made, for example I have a CPAP and need an extension cord usually to hook up my machine and the cruise line is more than accommodating typically.

    Universal Studios Florida Shorex

    in First Time Cruisers

    Posted

    I am writing to discourage any cruiser who is planning an excursion to Universal Studios. I would like to prevent happening to another family what happened to us. We took an excursion to Universal Studios for 8 hours. It took us at least an hour to enter the park(we had a voucher-already paid) and during the remaining 7 hours we were able to ride 4 rides and unable to eat anything as the lines were incredibly long. I contacted customer service and they said that as long as they don’t reach park capacity they will continue to allow people in, they also will not be making any changes. I was told we paid the extensive price for the ambience not the rides…Again I would hate to have another family experience what we did. We did not get what we paid for and to be honest the entire experience was horrific for us. It was wall to wall people and your were unable to move let alone experience any "ambience." It is unfortunate that there was little care for the consumer. My only hope is to prevent this from happening to another family.

    Universal Studios

    in Florida Departures

    Posted

    I am writing to discourage any cruiser who is planning an excursion to Universal Studios. I would like to prevent happening to another family what happened to us. We took an excursion to Universal Studios for 8 hours. It took us at least an hour to enter the park(we had a voucher-already paid) and during the remaining 7 hours we were able to ride 4 rides and unable to eat anything as the lines were incredibly long. I contacted customer service and they said that as long as they don’t reach park capacity they will continue to allow people in, they also will not be making any changes. I was told we paid the extensive price for the ambience not the rides…Again I would hate to have another family experience what we did. We did not get what we paid for and to be honest the entire experience was horrific for us. It was wall to wall people and your were unable to move let alone experience any "ambience." It is unfortunate that there was little care for the consumer. My only hope is to prevent this from happening to another family.

    Categories B3 vs BA

    in Norwegian Cruise Line

    Posted

    That could be the reason because they use approximate and up to frequently. I would just be careful when selecting the room because on deck 9 there are B3 connected to B3 where one B3 holds 3 and the other 4. These tend to be more midship versus the B2/BB connection. Again not great clarity in the differences.

    Categories B3 vs BA

    in Norwegian Cruise Line

    Posted

    as i said above the BB's have connecting as well

     

     

    BBs don't have connectivity listed if you note my quote. Now if you go to the actual floor plans you will see that BB will have 2 sets of rooms that are connected (BB to BB)- there are also additional BB's connected to B2s... however if you are following the floor plans then you will also note the triangle versus the +...this indicates that the BB will only hold 3 while the B2 (has the +) will hold 4.

    Categories B3 vs BA

    in Norwegian Cruise Line

    Posted

    If you go to the Pearl website...I think you will note the "reclassification." The difference is the connectivity. This is straight from the Pearl's listing of Balconies. To use your examples...

    (B3)Family Balcony

     

    These connecting staterooms are great family accommodations. You can bring the whole family, with room for up to four guests. Features two lower beds that convert into a queen-size bed and a convertible sofa to sleep two more, as well as a sitting area and floor-to-ceiling glass doors that open to a private balcony.

    Accommodates: 4

    Approx. Size: 205 sq. ft.

     

     

    (BB)Balcony

     

    These staterooms sleep up to four guests and come with two lower beds that convert into a queen-size bed and a convertible sofa pulls out to sleep two more. Also includes a sitting area and floor-to-ceiling glass doors that open to a private balcony.

    Accommodates: 4

    Approx. Size: 205 sq. ft.

    Categories B3 vs BA

    in Norwegian Cruise Line

    Posted

    I have included a link to flyer from April 2011 that lists the differences to staterooms. The Dawn does not list the catergorization of B3 because my guess is there was no difference between the rooms. However other ships do list it and the difference was connectivity.

     

    "Family Balcony (B2 quad

    or quint, B3 connecting)"

     

     

    http://www.ncl.com/csimages/696/493/RecatComparisonFlyer.pdf

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