NCL Sea - Info needed

[sowhynot]

What can you tell me about the Sea? It appears to be an older ship - which isn't necessarily bad - except there are no balcony cabins.

 

We're booked on a July 22 Panama Canal Cruise. Many of the outside cabins are "obstructed" views. We ended up with a category DD overlooking the jogging track.

 

We've been on the NCL Star and had a wonderful time. I know this isn't in the same category and, in fact, I'm looking forward to fewer people.

 

How does the service compare?

 

Any tips on how to request an upgrade, if one is available? We're celebrating our 25th anniversary and would have loved to book a suite, but they're sold out.

 

Thanks for your help.

[yags]

We just got off of the sea yesterday. We had a main deck (level 4) stateroom and were very pleased with it. Change your room from deck 6 only because people can look right into your room and the prominade deck is very wide and some of your view looking downward will not be great.

 

We had 4226 very near the crystal court area and could not have been happier with the location of the room.

[Carolyn1950]

yags, did you make Cancun? I am keeping a tally for husband..lol He is playing golf there and I told him lots of the time it is missed.. Thanks..

[two cruisers 723]

sowhynot,

 

My husband and I be on the Sea with you on July 22nd. My birthday is the 23rd. I've been reading a lot of reviews. There are far more positive comments than there are negative.

 

I love the idea of two alternative restaurants on the ship. Especially on a 15 night cruise. We've never had more than one specialty restaurant on a cruise. And that was only on one of the four ships we've been on. We've never sailed with Norweigan before. So we're expanding our horizons. We've sailed on Carnival twice and Royal Caribbean twice.

 

Did you get a really good deal on this cruise? We got what we feel is the deal of a lifetime. We have an outside cabin and paid the same amount we were getting ready to pay for an inside cabin on a 7 night cruise we were looking into booking last week.

 

I feel very fortunate to be going on this cruise. It pays to spend a lot of time on the internet looking around. The price we found was only out there for about 2 days and then jumped up by about $300 a person for the same cabin after that. We asked the local travel agent we're using if he could match the low price we found and he came in lower and is throwing in airport parking for the entire cruise also.

[hazeleyez3]

From what I've seen, Norwegian is priced lower in general, and in the past people have been able to get very good deals through TA...beware though, from what I have heard from others on this board, as of tomorrow the line will no longer allow discounted rates. As I understand it, all TAs will be able to sell the cruises, but at the retail price only.

[rho88]

when I was on the Sea my room was on deck 6 (#6051). The window was right next to the shuffle boards. Not much of an ocean view though. BUT, i really like that fact that I can go outside and walk around in the middle of the night or early in the morning. The whole deck basically became my private balcony...

 

The other good thing about deck 6 is that you are close to everything. 2 floors down and you have the 2 main restaurents, 3 floors up and you are at the buffet/pool deck. I never had to take the elevators.

 

And also, although my room was oceanview, my reservation was for a guaranteed inside stateroom. That's what I paid for, and then my TA did the rest. I sailed during the xmas holidays.

[cyrilee]

when I was on the Sea my room was on deck 6 (#6051). The window was right next to the shuffle boards. Not much of an ocean view though. BUT, i really like that fact that I can go outside and walk around in the middle of the night or early in the morning. The whole deck basically became my private balcony...

 

The other good thing about deck 6 is that you are close to everything. 2 floors down and you have the 2 main restaurents, 3 floors up and you are at the buffet/pool deck. I never had to take the elevators.

 

 

We were on the jogging track deck on both the Sea and the Norway and I think I will always try to book on the jogging track decks. Very few people really on deck (especially at night) and basically have our own balcony. Deck 6 on the Sea is great. Close to any floor we could possibly want and very quiet really

[two cruisers 723]

Hazeleyez3,

 

I'm not clear on your comment about TA's not being able to sell at discounted rates starting tomorrow. As long as we have already booked it and we have a copy of NCL's confirmation (not the TA's, but NCL's) to our travel agent showing the price we paid, along with our cabin assignment, they can't change anything now, right? You mean for bookings from tomorrow forward, correct? I do know that our travel agent signed a contract to buy several of these cabins on 1/12/05 since it was such a good deal. After he contracted for them, the going rate jumped by $300 & up. When we asked him if he was going to be able to make a lot of money on them now, he said that he would be selling them at the same low price he sold to us. So maybe he can't sell them for a higher price either for the reason you mentioned. Otherwise, why wouldn't he up the price and sell them for what the current going rate is for other TA's or internet companies?

[hazeleyez3]

There's a post under Norwegian named something to the effect of "price jump for NCL cruises."

 

When I read it, it seemed that people were under the impression that if you searched for a Norwegian cruise 1/17 and after the price would be the same as NCL's retail price.

 

I would think that TAs wouldn't be able to raise the price on cruises they booked before 1/17.

 

I took a look again at the prices my TA listed today, and it looks like they are still booking the rooms at a cheaper price then NCL, so I'm not sure if that was just a rumor....I'm hoping it is because I'd love to surprise my parents and upgrade to a suite.

[mbisson]

I checked with my TA yesterday (since we're looking to book soon) and his reply was that he will not be able to advertise a discounted price, but he would still be able to sell at discounted prices.

 

Doesn't appear that prices are going up at all (other than what they would anyway)

 

-Monte

[runner1909]

Sowhynot...She is an older ship, but very well maintained--and the staff is the best. We sailed her last June and are going again in 53 days. Our June cruise was full, but we never got that crowded feeling. Personally, I like the fact that one of the crew members goes on the excursions (not sure if all, but on the snorkeling ones we did) with the passengers. Our bathroom was tiny, but hey, for a week, I can do anything. We're going again, so that does say something, right?

[yags]

Hey Carolyn. We did not stop at Cancun. I found out that the ship has only 6 feet from the bottom of the ship to the sea bed. It must be perfectly calm before they will attempt to stop.

 

Needless to say this does not happen a lot.

[teacup754]

when I was on the Sea my room was on deck 6 (#6051). The window was right next to the shuffle boards. Not much of an ocean view though. BUT, i really like that fact that I can go outside and walk around in the middle of the night or early in the morning. The whole deck basically became my private balcony...

 

The other good thing about deck 6 is that you are close to everything. 2 floors down and you have the 2 main restaurents, 3 floors up and you are at the buffet/pool deck. I never had to take the elevators.

 

And also, although my room was oceanview, my reservation was for a guaranteed inside stateroom. That's what I paid for, and then my TA did the rest. I sailed during the xmas holidays.

we also paid for a guaranty inside cabin (2 of them)and were upgraded for no extra cost to oceanview cabins...

 

as far as Cancun we missed it also(dec 18-dec 25 cruise) so i would not plan anything that you won't be disappointed if you miss the port..

[hazeleyez3]

we also paid for a guaranty inside cabin (2 of them)and were upgraded for no extra cost to oceanview cabins...

QUOTE]

 

How do you get the free upgrades? The only way I have been able to get them is if I pay.

[sowhynot]

Thanks for all the information. I think I'll be happy with our DD Promenade deck cabin. Intersestingly enough, I called the TA today to ask about getting on a wait list for a Junior Suite (they're sold out at the moment) and NCL told the TA that it would be a $50/pp cost for the wait list. Think not! The TA couldn't believe it either. She'd never heard of such a thing. Also wouldn't quote a price until one was available. So...will wait until I see something open up and call.

[teacup754]

we also paid for a guaranty inside cabin (2 of them)and were upgraded for no extra cost to oceanview cabins...

QUOTE]

 

How do you get the free upgrades? The only way I have been able to get them is if I pay.

 

i didn't know we had an upgrade until we got our documents a few weeks before the cruise and it had our cabins numbers in there. didn't call etc because we booked through an online agent..so i guess we were lucky..

[PH]

We will be on the 7/22 also. I have been on Norwegian several times. We love the free style eating. It is so nice to eat when you want to and not be stuck with a time. Are you flying in the day before? See you there PH

[sowhynot]

I agree about the Freestyle Cruising. Much better than the assigned dinner seating. Yes, we're going to fly in the day before. I think it's less risky that way!

[XTEACH281]

I was wondering if anyone had a menu copy from the Sea ? Enjoyed reading evreyone's comments here and on the roll call post .

[texsam]

There was one posted, but a guess the moderator made them take them down.

[LynnH]

What can you tell me about the Sea? It appears to be an older ship - which isn't necessarily bad - except there are no balcony cabins.

 

We're booked on a July 22 Panama Canal Cruise. Many of the outside cabins are "obstructed" views. We ended up with a category DD overlooking the jogging track.

 

We've been on the NCL Star and had a wonderful time. I know this isn't in the same category and, in fact, I'm looking forward to fewer people.

 

How does the service compare?

 

Any tips on how to request an upgrade, if one is available? We're celebrating our 25th anniversary and would have loved to book a suite, but they're sold out.

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Ah...now I read this! My husband and I just paid an additional $300 today to upgrade our rooms from F to DD and the NCL Rep promised great views and joggers' inabilities to look in the windows. :rolleyes: Figures.

[pattict1]

Just off the Sea yesterday 1/22/05. We did make Cancun but it was tricky. As someone indicated earlier here, only 6 ft of water under the boat. Cancun was lovely though. We did the power boat and snorkel.

 

We were in 7018 which was a DD outside obstructed but we paid for a JJ inside. Our first upgrade came when we received our docs the second upgrade came the day before we sailed. We actually already in Huston when our TA called us with the news.

 

The 1/15/05 sailing was full and I did not ever feel that it was crowded. Great ship although it is not new. I think I read something before my trip from another poster who said something like, "Hey, I don't look as good as I did 18 years ago either but I still do ok." I think that sums it up except this ship and staff are better than ok. It was great.

[thunder_lin]

pattict1 - We have been upgraded from an L category to a D category on the Star Deck (room 7208) with an obstructed view. Can you tell me if your room had the same type of obsturcted view and how it was?

 

Anything more about the ship would be appreciated.

Thanks!