First cruise... so many questions, help me decide!!

[RIvacationgirl]

Sounds like a good plan.

The Bimini Grille is on the upper deck by the pool. This was a great place to get a drink and they have a little buffet with burgers, hot dogs and such in the afternoon. It is a great place to people watch and has some areas that are covered, so if there is a small shower, you are protected and can still stay outside. We met our family group there several times, and played games together and felt we had our own little buffet to ourselves! The "kids" all in their twenties within our group still talk about how much fun this area was!

[untailored bostonian]

Do we take cash with us? [...] I am leary about taking a lot of cash because I would probably keep it in the room and I just don't trust room safes.

 

When I read this I almost said the risks were "none" But I started another thread asking about "thefts" on cruises. So far the answers are "none".

Edited July 31, 2014 by untailored bostonian

[Mikkar]

We took our first cruise on NCL in December last year on the Epic from Miami also through an offer from a land based casino. The flights, hotels and rental car really added to the cost of the cruise. On the day we returned, we had a flight scheduled for that night but it was cancelled due to bad weather in the northeast and that left us and many other stranded passengers scrambling to find a hotel for the night. We did finally find one but it was very expensive due to demand.

We took our second cruise, also through an offer from Foxwoods casino, on the Breakaway from New York in March. We live about 3 hrs. from the port but decided to come in a day early just in case there were traffic issues. This was so much easier than flying and we loved the Breakaway! I know that your wife was concerned about the sea days on this cruise but there was so much to do on this ship.

We took travelers checks and cashed them as needed either in the casino or at customer service. We also took some small bills with us for tips.

I played in the casino and at the end of the cruise, they applied $300 in CAS rewards to our final bill. Also, I called CAS after our cruise and they comped me a balcony cabin on the Breakaway in October. Since then, I have received additional offers from CAS for a slot tournament cruise to Alaska, a golf tournament cruise to Bermuda and a cruise that I booked on the Breakaway in a mini suite in late November that includes $200.00 slot play.

You will probably also receive a card for free drinks in the casino.

If you play in the casino during your cruise and you plan to take another one, you might want to call CAS directly and see what they will offer you.

[GWAE]

We took our first cruise on NCL in December last year on the Epic from Miami also through an offer from a land based casino. The flights, hotels and rental car really added to the cost of the cruise. On the day we returned, we had a flight scheduled for that night but it was cancelled due to bad weather in the northeast and that left us and many other stranded passengers scrambling to find a hotel for the night. We did finally find one but it was very expensive due to demand.

We took our second cruise, also through an offer from Foxwoods casino, on the Breakaway from New York in March. We live about 3 hrs. from the port but decided to come in a day early just in case there were traffic issues. This was so much easier than flying and we loved the Breakaway! I know that your wife was concerned about the sea days on this cruise but there was so much to do on this ship.

We took travelers checks and cashed them as needed either in the casino or at customer service. We also took some small bills with us for tips.

I played in the casino and at the end of the cruise, they applied $300 in CAS rewards to our final bill. Also, I called CAS after our cruise and they comped me a balcony cabin on the Breakaway in October. Since then, I have received additional offers from CAS for a slot tournament cruise to Alaska, a golf tournament cruise to Bermuda and a cruise that I booked on the Breakaway in a mini suite in late November that includes $200.00 slot play.

You will probably also receive a card for free drinks in the casino.

If you play in the casino during your cruise and you plan to take another one, you might want to call CAS directly and see what they will offer you.

 

If you don't mind answering, what level did you play in the casino. It seems like a lot if you received $300 on that trip.

 

I was told that we are getting drink cards. With your card, did you have to be playing to get the drink or could you walk in and get served at a bar and walk back out?

[Mikkar]

I played penny machines, $1.50 - $2.00 a spin but I spent quite a bit of time there. I had a little luck on the Breakaway so it kept me going all week. I didn't have much luck on the Epic; I didn't come home broke but definitely not a winning trip.

Regarding the drink card, I'm not sure you can get a drink at the bar if you're not playing the video poker machines there. I was always sitting at a machine when I ordered. Some servers had a small machine to scan your room key card and others had to take your card to the bar to scan and they give it back when they bring your drink. The Breakaway had the best drink service of any casino I have ever been to. On the Epic, they were a little disorganized. More than once, they were walking around the casino calling my name and I hadn't moved since placing my order. It was a little unnerving to give them my key card because then I couldn't just leave if it was taking too long for my drink to come. After a couple of days, I knew which servers were good and I would wait for them to come around to take my order.

[callmehalia]

I just booked my room for the night before the cruise. I can not believe how expensive rooms are near the french quarter on a Saturday night. I feel that I got a great rate through hotwire. I booked the Country Inn and Suites for $134. Now I just need to figure out how to get from the airport to the hotel. A cap ride will be nearly $40

 

For future reference, you might want to check out a site like airbnb. We used it recently on a trip to Rio, and were able to get a studio apartment for the 2 of us for around £60 a night literally 5 steps from Copacabana, instead of the £100 a night for a scary looking hotel a bit off the beaten path.

[MrsKChicago]

Homeaway is great, too. I did a few nights in NOLA this May for about $90/night. We were on the edge of the French Quarter, walking distance to everything we wanted but with no yelling drunk people outside our room while we were trying to sleep.

 

You may be surprised at how much of the extra expense you can recoup by going through New Orleans. I don't know what Tampa is like, but New Orleans is fantastic for walking. Besides the cab from the airport at the start of my trip and the cab to the train station at the end, I could walk everywhere I wanted to go. No rental car, no cab fare, no nonsense. It's wonderful. The cruise port is only a few miles from the Quarter, it looks like, so that should be an inexpensive cab. I believe there's a way to take public transportation from the airport, too, but it's a bit convoluted. Our first cruise is going to be out of Miami because that was the itinerary I wanted, but I wish we could have cruised from New Orleans. I'm not looking forward to figuring out transportation for our 24 hours in Florida.

 

Look up the Carousel Bar while you're there. It's worth a stop!

[g35girl]

I just booked my room for the night before the cruise. I can not believe how expensive rooms are near the french quarter on a Saturday night. I feel that I got a great rate through hotwire. I booked the Country Inn and Suites for $134. Now I just need to figure out how to get from the airport to the hotel. A cap ride will be nearly $40

 

 

DH and I stayed at the Country Inn and Suites in NOLA a few yrs ago. It is a lovely, quaint hotel. It's about a 2 block walk to the French Quarter, 1/2 a block from Mother's (BEST Po Boys EVER!) and a couple of blocks from Harrah's Casino. You did get a great rate, because a few yrs ago I paid closer to $200 a night!

 

btw...we got a "free" NCL cruise from Harrah's in LV and we have decided on the Alaska Pearl but haven't booked yet. I'm curious to hear how your booking experience was!

[GWAE]

If I want ice cream on the ship what are my options?

 

Can I just walk into the buffet, grab some ice cream and leave?

[mnventure]

If I want ice cream on the ship what are my options?

 

Can I just walk into the buffet, grab some ice cream and leave?

 

Yes, we've been able to do that.