PCLMassachusetts

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Hope that helps clear up any confusion. :)

It sure does. What would clear it up even more is if NCL didn't have All Inclusive Packages On 2015 Cruise plastered in big bold letters across the top of the page.

And now the real question. How much will the prices increase to cover this added "freebie"?

It is available right now http://www.ncl.com/promo/all-inclusive . But it isn't a promo (at least not what I consider a promo), it is a package that you purchase. For instance, book a 7 day cruise and purchase the all in package at an additional 800 bucks a person and you get all that you mention.

What is the All In promo?

My point was that it's not necessarily the best value. It totally depends on how often/which restaurants you intend on dining. To simply say, "If you plan on dining at the specialty restaurants then this is the best value" is completely false. If you plan to dine at them only 5 times, obviously it isn't the best value, right? That's why I was throwing a whole math example out there. Sorry math confuses people.

I don't think it is math, I think it is reading comprehension. I knew exactly what you were trying to say. Too many people on here do not read and understand what they have read, they then either do not answer the question at all or argue a point that does not need to be argued.

If you are on a 10 say cruise and only plan on eating in a specialty restaurant 7 nights, then it is cheaper to just pay the cover. same as a 7 day and eating in specialty 5 times.

I could not find the terms for the current promo but this from the last one in July 2014. "Kids Sail Free: Kids Sail Free offer valid for third through eighth guest sharing a cabin with the first and second guest paying full fare. Government Taxes, Port Expenses & Fees are applicable to all third through eighth guest (s) offers. Kids Sail Free is a cruise only offer. No deposit is required for guests sailing in third through eighth berth."

I would think that it would be the same now, meaning they are responsible for the taxes and port fees.

While for me it would not be a deal breaker in booking a suite, I do find the lunch menu lacking. Breakfast not so much but there should at least be more variety in the lunch menu.

This was my first experience and I noticed it on the first day. The atmosphere and service was great, just not much to choose from.

I would say pick based on the ship you really want to be on. I think there are way too many variables involved to be able to accurately predict that the Breakaway would have more 12 year olds just because of the size of the ship.

My kids don't like the kids clubs in general.

 

I'm hoping we go on the Breakaway because maybe there will be other 12 year olds approaching 13.

 

What is your experience with a child who just missed out on the next age group??

Why would there be other 12 year olds on the Breakaway but not the Dawn?

The corkage fee is the fee charged to bring your wine on the ship, not to "on cork" the bottle. You can then enjoy the wine wherever you want to on the ship. You can even keep one bottle in your cabin and bring another to any restaurant that you want. You can then leave it with the staff, they will give you a ticket, and then staff from any other restaurant that you go to can retrieve it for you.

Book a suite and get them all.

I can only tell you about our experience in a NCL suite. It was so good that I believe it was worth every dollar spent. And with the current promo you get even more bang for your buck.

We were on the Dawn, which is also an older ship. I had read a few reviews of the Dawn that had me concerned prior to sailing. Once on the ship we loved it so much we booked another one a week after returning home and can't wait to get back on her.

Take what you have heard about the Spirit and try to not let it bother you. Once you do a NCL suite you will be hard pressed to sail any other way.

That's the beauty of NCL. Do what you want when you want to do it. Freestyle

When two people are telling the same story there three sides. Person #1's version, person #2's version and somewhere in the middle is the truth. It is human nature.

I was told by a NCL representative that if you do have the dining package for a child from 4-12, each time they eat choose something from the menu at the specialty restaurant, you will automatically receive 50% of the cover charge as OBC. For instance, if you go to Moderno, which is a $20 cover charge, and your daughter orders from the Moderno menu, you will see a $10 OBC added to your account.

 

I found this to be odd, since I do not see it documented in the Dining Guide, but she was certain this was correct. For our cruise, we are likely getting the UDP for my wife and I, and will see what our daughter chooses when we go to the specialty restaurants. We assume she will probably stick mostly to the MDR kids menu, since she's a picky eater. She'll be 6 at the time of the cruise.

 

Keep this in mind. If you do get the UDP for your daughter, and she continuously orders from the MDR kids menu, you DO NOT get any OBC added to your account. So, it may be better to pay as you go for kids if they are not adventurous eaters.

I would be curious to hear from you after your cruise to see if this correct. I doubt that the NCL rep was correct as I have not read this in any NCL documents.

Nonsense, the Dawn is a fine ship with plenty to do. Food is good to great and activities run from morning to night. It is not a mega ship with ropes courses and climbing walls. Look around for some of the posts that include dailies for the Dawn. Crew, food and entertainment are all great. If you want a mega ship with 4,000 plus people, you can sail out of New York and get that. We would take the Dawn anytime and have two more cruises booked on her now.

I could not agree more. True, there are no ropes course or planks to walk, but if I want an amusement park I will go to one. The Dawn is a great ship with a great crew and we were never bored. My kids had a blast, never used the kids club and never once complained of nothing to do. We liked the Dawn so much that we booked another cruise on her the week after getting home.

Our cruise was not perfect, but no vacation ever is. Go with an open mind and you will have a great time.

I'm just wondering why being blind would affect what your husband chooses to eat? (I'm genuinely curious, and a bit mystified)

I took that to mean that they are trying to plan ahead what he will order so that she does not have to read the entire menu to him each night.

New rules as of Jan 1st. FCC will not hold all suites. Just had to add to my FCC to book an SA. Deluxe owners suite on the Dawn. Have booked them in the past with just an FCC but no go this time. Had to pony up an extra $550 to bring the deposit to $800.

If I am reading this correctly, you are saying that the FCC cannot be used to fully hold a suite from Deluxe Owners on up. Correct? However the $250 face value of it can be applied towards the deposit of those higher end suites?

. A FCC will hold a mini suite.

A FCC will hold more than a mini suite, which is not really a suite. I cannot speak to Haven suites but a FCC will certainly hold a Family Suite, and even a Two Bedroom Family Suite.

This.

 

It was mentioned, but we had just been there (to Le Bistro) over the holidays, quite a few times - yum.

 

But neither of us had any recollection of anything with that name.

 

Trust us, if we had seen a "seafood tower", we would have at least tried one!

 

The seafood combo in sauce was good, but the pastry wasn't all that "light". I just picked out the seafood.

This was the "entree" that I used as a first course, and then had the filet as the regular entree.

(With the UDP, no upcharge on any of it, all the better.)

 

The "seafood tower" was previously mentioned here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2164264&highlight=seafood+tower

(see post #11 for first mention)

 

GeezerCouple

We also recently ate in Le Bistro and saw nothing even close to a seafood tower on the menu. I don't know what they are referring to in those posts. Perhaps it was an old menu item that is no longer available.

We had a family considering joining us on Getaway. Last June. I was doing the suite- search for them and there was a H4 guarantee . This was in March, right after our final payment date. The suite was full- fare and a LOT more than we had paid. They opted out as they didn't want to take the risk of being on deck 15.

Just a note - deck 15 is perfectly fine . It freaked the wife out, however.

What was it about deck 15 that freaked her out?

But maybe that's a good thing OP. I noticed you're from Mass. Can you imagine if you paid for a suite guarantee and ended up with an aft penthouse over the "disco" on the Dawn and couldn't sleep for the whole week?

Good point.

Is there such a category as Suite Guarantee on NCL?

I should have trusted my gut instinct before experiencing our first suite on our last cruise. Unfortunately I did not and now we are hooked. If there is, what is the price difference between picking your suite and booking guarantee?

If you look at which cruises are actually available for the sail free promo I don't think it will have much of an impact. Typically, the cruises during traditional school breaks were not included. During the current promo they are offered at 50% off.

We had a cruise already booked for July 2016. When the current promo came out I called to change the booking (same cruise same cabin) to take advantage of it. I have 3 kids and it only saved me $150.00. A savings yes, but hardly enough to lure someone to book who otherwise may not have.

My sister and I are booking a mini-suite on the Norwegian Jewel to Alaska in July 2015. The highest we've ever gone has been a verandah cabin on any cruise line.

 

Before finalizing our reservations, though, I'd like an opinion regarding best position in the ship - port, starboard, forward or aft - is most desirable (and why.) Keep in mind, we are going to Alaska in July, so want the best scenery views possible (for a mini-suite.)

I can't help with the Alaska portion of your question. However if you booked a mini suite for any of the suite perks, unfortunately there are none. If you booked it for more space, there is a little. It is simply a regular cabin with a little more square footage.

If you want the suite perks you need to splurge for a suite, not mini.