Bowling Balls?

[dmarie1623]

DH and sons love bowling and are happy the Gem has a bowling alley. My question is, can they bring their own bowling ball, or no? As we are driving weight restrictions will not be an issue.

 

I am against the idea, but promised to find out for them.

 

Thanks!

[sdmike]

I don't know if they CAN or not, but IMO it would be crazy to do so. The ship moves. I've seen good bowlers just throw up their hands and laugh after a ball that was heading toward the pocket suddenly veered to the gutter. They should not expect anything "normal" about bowling on a ship. Is it fun? Yep. Would it be frustrating for someone looking for real bowling? Yep. Is it worth carrying an 18lb bag onto the ship along with other luggage? IMO, nope

[Squidward Q Tentacles]

I would imagine for liability reasons NCL would not want you to bring your own bowling ball on the ship. What if for some strange reason your ball damaged the system, I would not want to take the risk. Plus, like Mike said, it just bowling for fun on a moving ship. They can raise the gutter rails to help out if wanted to make it a little easier when the ship is rolling around some.

[ColinIllinois]

No problem. I usually bring my own George Foreman grill for my room and a BBQ for the balcony. ;)

[Ilovesailing]

Really, is he going to bowl 24/7. Personally it's just a bother to have to lug it around.

[dmarie1623]

No problem. I usually bring my own George Foreman grill for my room and a BBQ for the balcony. ;)

 

 

I think there is a difference, but thanks for the laugh. ;)

[sdmike]

OP - Just tell your family that they consider it a potential liability issue and that NCL may confiscate their bowling balls if they try to bring them. :)

 

Or..just tell them "they're not allowed" and be done with it. :)

[dmarie1623]

Really, is he going to bowl 24/7. Personally it's just a bother to have to lug it around.

 

If they could they would. They bowl about 4-5 times a week, 4-6 games each time. All their bags are wheeled, same a someone carrying luggage.

 

I would not carry a bowling ball on vacation, but to each his own.

[dmarie1623]

OP - Just tell your family that they consider it a potential liability issue and that NCL may confiscate their bowling balls if they try to bring them. :)

 

Or..just tell them "they're not allowed" and be done with it. :)

 

 

I will take your suggestion. Thanks to all!:)

[sebas030]

Hi,

 

And if I remember correctly the bowling alley is NOT regulation ( shorter and narrower )...and on a cruise ship that is moving...do not expect to play a great game...

 

I did play on the Gem and it was fun, but not competition bowling.

 

 

Have fun !

[blackwing]

To each their own, but if they bowl so much at home, why would they spend thousands of dollars to be on a cruise ship just so they can bowl some more? If they want to bring their own balls it sounds like they intend to spend some significant time there.

 

What about enjoying the pool, the shows, the food, or just being outside in the open air?

 

I guess I can understand though, when someone has a passion, that's what they want to do, regardless of what else is available. On some of my cruises in the past, my wife would plan our schedule so she could be back in the cabin to watch her soap operas in real time, instead of on DVR once we got home. I was thankful that Norwegian TVs don't carry regular network programming!

[dmarie1623]

Hi,

 

And if I remember correctly the bowling alley is NOT regulation ( shorter and narrower )...and on a cruise ship that is moving...do not expect to play a great game...

 

I did play on the Gem and it was fun, but not competition bowling.

 

 

Have fun !

 

 

I'll let them know it's not regular lanes. I did warn them about the ship not being an ideal place to bowl. Who knows, I just may be able to beat them!:p

[LrgPizza]

I would think they could suffer through a few games using a different bowling ball. I mean, seriously? This is absurd to me. Sorry.

[JordanZ]

I would think they could suffer through a few games using a different bowling ball. I mean, seriously? This is absurd to me. Sorry.

 

It may be absurd to you, but that does not make it an absurd question. Honestly , when i heard that there was a bowling alley at sea, my first thought was, "well, i could toss my ball & shoes in a bag." The only problems are that I'm flying and couldn't do with the extra weight.

 

It's just like people that golf on cruise lines. Sure, they probably golf 3 or 4 times a week at home, and sure, they could probably "suffer" without their equipment for a couple of rounds, but if you have the opportunity to bring your own stuff, I absolutely would.

 

Would you not bring sunscreen because you can suffer through the week with NCL's 30 spf lotion?

 

Also, one more point. Some people (not me) are huge germaphobes, and i could very well see why they would want to have their own shoes and bowling ball. Not to mention, I'm sure these kids bowling balls are drilled specifically to their hand for perfect fitment.

[sdmike]

there are also people waiting to bowl, so they're not going to park themselves for hours at a bowling lane.

 

But seriously, why spend thousands of dollars to be on a ship and then spend your time doing something you already do at home?

 

I know you're just the messenger, but time to slap those boys upside the head. :)

[JordanZ]

there are also people waiting to bowl, so they're not going to park themselves for hours at a bowling lane.

 

But seriously, why spend thousands of dollars to be on a ship and then spend your time doing something you already do at home?

 

I know you're just the messenger, but time to slap those boys upside the head. :)

 

Do you ever eat out at home? do you ever go to the spa? ever go to the casino? ever go to a show at a theater? I'm sure many of you have paid to do these things at home AND on a ship. The difference is the atmospohere. How many times do you get to have a gourmet meal in the middle of the ocean? how many times do you get to see a broadway ship on the ocean?

 

on that note, how often do you get to bowl while you're 1000 miles from the nearest land?

 

My point being, I do lots of things on a cruise that i do at home, but I'm happy to do them again on a cruise because of the atmosphere and the feel of everything.

 

It's the same as most things on the ship. Yeah, you may do all these things at home, play bingo, go to the casino, play trivia, go to the pool, but when it comes down to it, you'd like to do it in the middle of the ocean, somewhere you may not be able to do it again for who knows how long.

[sdmike]

Do you ever eat out at home? do you ever go to the spa? ever go to the casino? ever go to a show at a theater? I'm sure many of you have paid to do these things at home AND on a ship. The difference is the atmospohere. How many times do you get to have a gourmet meal in the middle of the ocean? how many times do you get to see a broadway ship on the ocean?

 

on that note, how often do you get to bowl while you're 1000 miles from the nearest land?

 

My point being, I do lots of things on a cruise that i do at home, but I'm happy to do them again on a cruise because of the atmosphere and the feel of everything.

 

It's the same as most things on the ship. Yeah, you may do all these things at home, play bingo, go to the casino, play trivia, go to the pool, but when it comes down to it, you'd like to do it in the middle of the ocean, somewhere you may not be able to do it again for who knows how long.

 

Fair enough. Do you take your bowling ball to the local casino? ;) (j/k)

[dmarie1623]

Let me start off by saying that, I plan on telling them no to bringing their personal equipement. They have always, and will continue to enjoy other activities onboard, to suggest otherwise based on this question is stupid.

 

Secondly, OMG, it's just question, not an invitation to be a bitter betty. ;)

 

Anyway, at least one other person had the same question, because it was asked and answered on the Epic FAQ...

 

Can you bring your own bowling balls onto the Epic?

 

 

answer 1

Sure can. And get ready for the additional challenge that the slight rocking of the ship adds to the motion of your deliveries and the ball in the lane.

Top 25 Contributor

 

 

 

 

answer 2

Yes. There are no restriction on getting your own bowling ball but be prepared to get checked during the x-ray screening of your bags.

Number One Contributor

 

 

 

A big thank you to sdmike, JordanZ, Sebas030 and Squidwad for being helpful! :D

[JuneauWhatIMean]

there are also people waiting to bowl, so they're not going to park themselves for hours at a bowling lane.

 

But seriously, why spend thousands of dollars to be on a ship and then spend your time doing something you already do at home?

 

I know you're just the messenger, but time to slap those boys upside the head. :)

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again...I'm your biggest fan. :D

 

OP- "Secondly, OMG, it's just question, not an invitation to be a bitter betty. ;) "........Methinks finer words have never been spoken on Cruise Critic. ;):D

[sdmike]

OP- "Secondly, OMG, it's just question, not an invitation to be a bitter betty. ;) "........Methinks finer words have never been spoken on Cruise Critic. ;):D

 

She's clearly not from around these parts, huh? :p :D

 

Ya know, the more I think about it, the more that I come to the conclusion that people should do what they enjoy the most. While I would never carrying on a bowling ball, or bottled water, or soda, or my own lawn chair or cat (yes, it's been asked), that doesn't mean it's not important to someone else. If those guys would spend months after the cruise talking about how much fun they had trying to break 100 on a moving ship, maybe that's the fun that matters. It's not for me, certainly, but to each their own. Just make sure they get outside their little boxes and get some new experiences too.

 

Having said that, I'll leave you with this... Am I the only one with visions of stubbing my toe on a 16lb bowling ball in the middle of the night? :)

Edited May 1, 2014 by sdmike

[lovetrauma]

I know when I sailed on the Gem the bowling balls they has were not normal size balls. They were about half the size.

[sdmike]

 

Would you not bring sunscreen because you can suffer through the week with NCL's 30 spf lotion?

 

If that bottle of sunscreen was the size of a motorcycle helmet and weighed 16lbs I'd have second thoughts. :p

[jame_g]

When we asked on board the Gem we were told "No", NCL would not allow people to use their own bowling balls or bowling shoes. They required passengers to use their equipment.

[jmcookiemonster25]

I bowled on the Gem and I didn't like it. The slightest movement in the ship causes your ball to go into the gutter. It wasn't very fun for that reason. If you bring your own bowling ball you may regret it as you might not bowl much.

[LrgPizza]

It may be absurd to you, but that does not make it an absurd question. Honestly , when i heard that there was a bowling alley at sea, my first thought was, "well, i could toss my ball & shoes in a bag." The only problems are that I'm flying and couldn't do with the extra weight.

 

It's just like people that golf on cruise lines. Sure, they probably golf 3 or 4 times a week at home, and sure, they could probably "suffer" without their equipment for a couple of rounds, but if you have the opportunity to bring your own stuff, I absolutely would.

 

Would you not bring sunscreen because you can suffer through the week with NCL's 30 spf lotion?

 

Also, one more point. Some people (not me) are huge germaphobes, and i could very well see why they would want to have their own shoes and bowling ball. Not to mention, I'm sure these kids bowling balls are drilled specifically to their hand for perfect fitment.

Did you just compare bringing a bowling ball to bringing sunscreen? Sure, that makes perfect sense now.