Never cruised NCL before. Price question.

[jinteso]

Cozumel over Nassau & an extra day...no brainer for me....5 day all the way ;p

 

I agree! It is a no brainer. Especially with the UDP.

[jancl57]

That's a great price but want to make sure you are aware of a few things. When you go to book and choose the UBP as your perk they will add on a service charge to represent your tips on the bev package. It comes out to almost $100 per person for the week. So add that in if you haven't in your price comparison. Also, the bev package includes drinks up to $15 (and they do have a surprising number of drinks over $15) but excludes all specialty coffee and bottled water.

 

 

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We just got off the Dawn. Made very good use of the UBP. Yes we had to lay the 18% gratuity for the both of us up Front. $199. We most definitely consumed more then $199 in the first 2 days. My feeling is, the UBP is definitely the best perk despite paying $199 in "service" charges!

 

 

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[dacsmom]

I would definitely take the five day over the four day, Cozumel over Nassau. I was on the Epic in March and I loved it. The solo cabins are wonderful, and no single supplement really is attractive. I switch back and forth between Carnival and RCI, but I bought several next cruise certificates while on board, came home, canceled my RCI trip, and booked the Escape. I am sticking with the NCI for a while. Right now they seem to be offering the best value. Have a great trip

 

 

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[cfr70]

I would definitely take the five day over the four day, Cozumel over Nassau. I was on the Epic in March and I loved it. The solo cabins are wonderful, and no single supplement really is attractive. I switch back and forth between Carnival and RCI, but I bought several next cruise certificates while on board, came home, canceled my RCI trip, and booked the Escape. I am sticking with the NCI for a while. Right now they seem to be offering the best value. Have a great trip

 

 

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Thanks for the advice. I'm definitely booking the 5 day when i'm able to on Wed. And I see the Free at Sea promo ends 2 days later, so i'm getting it just under the wire. (BTW, are these sales frequent because they really are a wonderful deal!!)

 

It's the solo issue that's starting to bug me with Carnival. When I book with them, even with their $49 dep sale, I still have to shell out double that while NCL only asks for the $50 being they're specifically solo cabins.

I feel if Carnival wants to keep it's solo customer base from straying, they really need to implement single cabins on their ships. I can honestly say if i'm impressed with NCL, (and those solo cabins look so fun), i'll continue booking with them in the future and say bye bye to Carnival.

[dacsmom]

Carnival definitely does not seem to want to attract solo cruisers. I loved the Vista, but I had to pay double, even the deposit. At least with RCI, I get double cruise points, so that is a bit of a perk. It seems like NCL is trying to attract solo cruisers. NCL solo cabins and solo lounge are really nice. The lounge is a great place to grab coffee and cookies before bed.

If you like NCL, they offer BOGO next cruise certificates onboard and you have four years to use them.

[cfr70]

Carnival definitely does not seem to want to attract solo cruisers. I loved the Vista, but I had to pay double, even the deposit. At least with RCI, I get double cruise points, so that is a bit of a perk. It seems like NCL is trying to attract solo cruisers. NCL solo cabins and solo lounge are really nice. The lounge is a great place to grab coffee and cookies before bed.

If you like NCL, they offer BOGO next cruise certificates onboard and you have four years to use them.

 

Never heard of this. Do you have to book the next cruise while on board in order to receive the certificate or is it given to all passengers and able to use during the next 4 years? Living in FL and retired, I would definitely make use of a deal like that.

[Farts]

Thanks for the helpful info. I really like that they do all that just for solos. That's another big reason for wanting to try NCL. (The $50 Deposit sale sealed it for me.) The only negative I can think of is it detracts from my goal of getting closer to Platinum level on Carnival, but a small price to pay for trying a whole new cruise line.

These reward points are monopoly points that don't really count. What really matters is the itinerary and the ship

[cfr70]

These reward points are monopoly points that don't really count. What really matters is the itinerary and the ship

 

Of course they count. I'm not too familiar with NCL rewards, but on Carnival, once you reach 75 points you're Platinum and enjoy extra perks you don't get with Gold level. I guess it's all subjective, because it matters to me.