Norwegian Pearl- The Suite Life- The Cabin

I have returned from our amazing week on the Norwegian Pearl and I am very excited to share all the wonderful things about this ship! I figured I'd start with our suite-cabin 10164- which we thoroughly enjoyed! First, here are a few photos of this beautiful room, which was updated a few weeks ago in dry dock with all new carpet, bedding, decor and a new television.

 The balcony was large and comfortable-our view was completely aft facing.

 There was plenty of room in the bathroom!

 This became a pull out bed for our son at night- and there were curtains partitioning his bed and ours.

 I loved the Nespresso machine!

 The potty area was cordoned off in the bathroom, which was the one thing I did not prefer about the room.

 I did not take a bath but if you wanted to there were bath salts. We received all spa quality bath products as well.

 The decor is now relaxing and pretty-muted purple and greys.

 Lots of drawer and closet space!

 This is what the single bed pulled out at night looks like. My son said it was really comfortable.

 Our bed was very comfy too! :)

 The dressing table is nice for getting ready in an area not in the bathroom-there is a blow dryer here and several deep shelves to the right to hold cosmetic bags, etc.

 I am already missing our daily snack from the butler! :)

So this is an overview of the room-which I wanted to post first as I know many of you are looking for photos of the ship after the recent drydock. I have LOTS more posts coming- including menus, ship pictures, details, dailies and pictures of other cabins as well! I look forward to sharing everything with you all! :)

The Suite Life on Cruise Ships

Our upcoming cruise on the Norwegian Pearl will be a suite-our first one! We also have a suite booked on our cruise on the Norwegian Sky in August. I got to thinking about suites in general and wondering exactly what perks the "suite life" offered on the different cruise lines. I'll bet you would like to know too! :) In addition to more cabin space here is a rundown of what you can expect if you book a suite on your next cruise:

Norwegian-Not to be confused with the Haven area on many of the NCL ships, suites are found on most of the Norwegian fleet. Suite guests can look forward to perks of a butler and concierge; priority embarkation, debarkation and tendering; a private dining room with a special menu for breakfast and lunch (most often in either Cagney's or Moderno); a special keycard and luggage tags (the tags are mailed to you); a mini bar and espresso machine in your cabin; dedicated seating in the theater; complimentary 24 hour room service; a special cocktail party with the ship's officers; the ability to book shows and dining at 100 days prior to cruising, bathrobes, slippers and luxury bath products and all of the current perks Norwegian offers at the time of sailing-without gratuity charges on the UBP and UDP packages. Here is where you can find the specific suite information for your NCL cruise:
https://www.ncl.com/why-cruise-norwegian/cruise-accommodations/cruise-suites-and-penthouses

Carnival-A priority check in lounge and priority check in and boarding, priority debarkation and being first off at ports and for tendering, complimentary in suite bottled water, one complimentary bag of laundry per cabin and dining room preference priority are all perks for suite guests on Carnival cruises. There is no specific page dedicated to suites overall on Carnival, but they do have a "specials" page for their suites fleetwide here:
https://www.carnival.com/suite-room-sale.aspx


Royal Caribbean-In the Spring of 2016 RC released an updated list of perks that suite guests should expect. Here are the perks for the following types of suites -Royal Suite, Royal Family Suite, Presidential Family Suite, Owner's Suite, Grand Suite
Oasis Class: Royal Loft Suite, Sky Loft Suite, AquaTheater Suite & Crown Loft Suite:
Priority Check in and concierge service; prime seating in the theaters; priority tender tickets; private dining room for breakfast and lunch on Voyager and Freedom Class ships; VIP pool deck seating; complimentary in room dining;luggage valet service;spa bathrobes;pressing service on formal nights; priority departure with a special departure lounge and continental breakfast and personalized attention throughout the cruise. Guests who are in a suite on the Allure of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas or Quantum of the Seas can expect to receive extra perks for their "Royal Suite Class" status. This includes VIP status ship wide and priority reservations for activities like the Flowrider. These suites are more like the Haven Class of suites on Norwegian. More information for these specific suites can be found here:
http://www.royalcaribbean.com/RoyalSuiteClass 

Disney Cruises-Known as Concierge cabins the suites on the Disney ships have a few variations but include personalized attention and concierge services, the ability to pre-reserve activities and shows 120 days prior to cruising, H20 bath products, bathrobe and slippers, special treats daily, a music and media library and on several ships a private lounge with complimentary snacks and beverages at certain times daily. Here is a breakdown of the different perks each ship offers for folks who book a concierge class suite:
https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/faq/staterooms/stateroom-categories/ 

Celebrity Cruises- Celebrity offers an array of suites on their fleet-which all include personalized service and special attention for guests. Private dining, a concierge and butler, dedicated dining rooms for all meals and complimentary cocktails are all available for Celebrity suite cruisers. This link gives a full description of the suite varieties on each of their ships:
http://www.celebritycruises.com/htmlpage/celebrity-suite-class 

Holland America Cruises- This cruise line offers several suite rooms-each with their own amenities. These are listed as the Pinnacle, Neptune, Vista, Signature and Spa suites and they do vary. For example, the Vista suite offers a much larger cabin and a mention of complimentary services but no specifics. The Pinnacle suite, on the other hand, offers perks such as fresh fruit upon request, complimentary in room dining, mimosas with in suite breakfasts, binoculars for use during the voyage, Elemis bath products and a private lounge. Details about these different suites can be found here:http://www.hollandamerica.com/cruise-vacation-onboard/Staterooms.action?_vsrefdom=mca&mchxkw=c:248898000,k:holland%20america%20suites,m:be,d:c,ai:4591566272,ad:13719743227,s:b&gclid=CPGS1fPQmNICFUTjDQodn2oExg&gclsrc=ds#/cid=hal_psearch_bkws_tactical_bing_hollandamericasuites_exact_isolate_suites/rooms

Every cruise line offers their own version of Spa suites as well, which includes special spa services and access to their various spa facilities. Have you sailed in a suite or do you plan to? I'd love to hear about it! I plan to write a full and detailed report after my experience with the "suite life" in March-and share it with all of you! :) 



 

Five Things to Change Up for Your Next Cruise

Folks who cruise often may ponder different ways to change things up a bit on their next voyage. While some cruisers love the same cruise line, ship, room and itinerary, other people have a desire to try something new each cruise. I am one of those cruisers! :) I decided to come up with a list of my top five cruise desires for changing up our experience each time we cruise-and hopefully you will get some ideas for your next trip!

1. Choose a Different Cabin Category- We have tried an inside room (our first cruise), several balconies, an extra large balcony and in less than a month we will have our first experience in a suite! I would still like to experience the other room types like an oceanview, porthole, virtual balcony, indoor balcony, a cove balcony and a Haven or Yacht Club room. It is exciting to try the various cabin types and decide which one is your favorite!

2. Choose a Different Location on the Ship- Most new cruisers are placed somewhere mid ship to avoid any rocking or chance of seasickness. That is where we were on our first few cruises. However, we tried the very front of the ship one cruise and found it to be amazing (although windy) on the balcony. This next cruise we will have our first corner aft cabin. If you have always favored the aft of the ship book your next room in the front or middle of the boat. Likewise, if you tend to have a cabin on lower decks try an upper deck room. Venturing into new areas on the ship is always interesting.

3. Plan to Try One New Activity- Maybe you have never done the rock wall, mini golf or the spa on your cruises. Make a plan to do an activity that you have yet to try on your next cruise. Believe it or not I never have gambled on a cruise at the casino, so I am considering trying my luck this next cruise!

4. Participate in a Cruise Meet Up- Cruise Critic has Roll Calls for future cruisers on their website where you can virtually meet up with other passengers on your cruise before you sail. There is usually a passenger that organizes a few group events-like a sail away party, cabin crawl or slot pull. Meeting a few new friends can definitely add an interesting twist to your vacation.
 http://www.cruisecritic.com/rollcalls/

5. Plan Your Own Excursion- Particularly if you are visiting a port you have been to many times planning an excursion can be just the thing to spice up your adventure! While some folks prefer to stay on the ship at ports they have been to, often the fun of planning some events on land for you and your fellow travelers can be a neat challenge. We are headed to Key West on our March cruise for the second time and I have planned an "Eat and Drink Around Key West" day for us. I have a list of dining, drinking and dessert spots that are coined as "must try" and we will keep notes on all the cool things we enjoy! I will definitely report back here as to how it goes! :)

Do you have any ways to change up your cruises to keep them all unique and adventurous? If so I'd love to hear from you! :)

 

Cool Cruise Balcony Cabins

Whether you always get a balcony room or are looking at splurging on one for the first time you are sure to have a bevy of choices. Of course there is the standard balcony cabin- with a smaller outdoor space which typically holds two chairs and a small table. There is also a larger balcony, as pictured above, which can be found on ships like the Norwegian Getaway. These larger balconies often have several loungers, chairs and a larger table. There are quite a few other types of balconies you can enjoy, however, from an inside the ship view to an aft wraparound retreat. Here is a list of various balcony cabin types the cruise lines offer:

A Virtual Balcony- While some cruisers complain this is not a "real" balcony you do still get an outside view-just not the outside air! Royal Caribbean's Virtual Balcony is comprised of an inside cabin with an 80-inch high-definition screen that spans from basically the floor to the ceiling. With this cabin option you have the ability to see real-time views and sounds of the ocean, as well as port destinations from the comfort of your room. Both the RC Navigator of the Seas and the Quantum of the Seas have these unique faux balconies.

Inside the Ship Balcony- Several Royal Caribbean ships, such as the Allure of the Seas and the Oasis of the Seas offer these cool outdoor areas which give passengers a view of a bustling and picturesque area of the ship. Cabins with these inside the ship views  offer a 24/7 look at the Boardwalk area of the ship or the re-creation of Central Park, like on the Oasis and Harmony of the Seas. Imagine watching the parade on the boardwalk from your cabin! :)

Cove Balcony- This cozy balcony can be found on ships like the Carnival Magic and Carnival Breeze. The lower level balconies are pretty close to the water and have a look more like an open oceanview cabin. Many cruisers report they love being so close to the water and getting an up close view of the sea creatures. The balcony doors will lock automatically if the ship encounters rough weather though.

Aft Balcony- These awesome balconies offer a wraparound view for corner cabins-which  typically have loungers and chairs. Medium sized ships, such as the Norwegian Pearl have many of these aft cabins classified as a Suite or Haven, so locating a true balcony classification for a larger sized aft balcony is a find!

Large Balcony- This sizable private space is also available as a mini suite with  a balcony category on ships like the Norwegian Getaway and Escape. The caveat is that these balconies are on decks 8 and 9, which stick out a bit more than usual balconies. So, if you are a cruiser who does not plan to stand outside in your underwear (yes I saw this! lol! :) ) than you should be a-okay with an area of your balcony visible to other passengers. We loved our large balcony on deck 8 of the Norwegian Getaway-it was a perfect place to lounge and even to have breakfast! Other ships, like the Celebrity's Millennium Class fleet offer what is coined as a "Sweet Sixteen" set of balcony cabins, which while classified as a 2C category are bigger than the average balcony for the same price! These inexpensive balconies offer the most bang for you buck and are found as a set of 8 on both the port and starboard sides of the four Millennium Class ships. Princess's Grand Class ships have mini suites with exposed large balconies as well.

Balcony cabins may also include a private whirlpool, hot tub or solarium- however those rooms are almost always classified as suites. Have you had a spectacular balcony room on a cruise voyage? Please share the balcony room you loved with me! :)

 


 

Planning a Summer Cruise?

Is a summer cruise on your list for 2017? Although our cruises are planned for 2017 already my sister is looking to plan a extended family cruise vacation for her and her in laws in June of this year. She asked for my thoughts on a good cruise to take for roughly 7 adults, 3 children and a baby. While I am unable to join them on this cruise it was certainly fun researching the options-and I decided to share my findings with you all! Their parameters were a cruise for the month of June from a central/south Florida port and ideally a week long trip. While one family member will need a wheelchair accessible balcony room the other cruisers would prefer balcony rooms in a family friendly area. Child care and a cool kids club is requested, as well as ports for water sports and active excursions. I chose to search for a cabin for two adults and one child, so the totals will vary a bit. Here is what I found for them:


Norwegian Escape- June 24-July 1- Balcony (B2-Family) Room 9736. Includes Ultimate Beverage Package and Shore Excursion Bonus of $50 per port (other options are Ultimate Dining and Wi-Fi- you pick two). $100 on board credit is also given, along with $50 deposits. This cruise goes to Roatan, Harvest Caye (new private island), Cozumel and Costa Maya. The Escape is the newest NCL ship with lots of kids activities on board, including a large sports complex and aqua park. This ship leaves from Miami and the total cost is $4325.00.

Carnival Magic- June 24-July 2 (*8 days)- Cove Balcony Room 2378. Includes a $75 on board credit and $25 per person deposits. This cruise goes to Grand Turk, Amber Cove (new private island), San Juan and St. Thomas. The Magic is a large ship with Waterworks, Seuss at Sea and the Hasbro Game Show-which are all great for kids. This ship leaves from Port Canaveral and the total cost is $3754.00.

Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas- June 25-July 2-Balcony Room (D4) Room 6264. This cruise goes to Nassau, St. Thomas and St Kitts. The Allure of the Seas offers a Dreamworks kids experience, a boardwalk with games and a carousel, aquatic activities, a flowrider and ice skating. This ship, which leaves from Fort Lauderdale has a total cost of $4307.00 and a deposit of $750. 


MSC Divina- June 24-July 1- Balcony Room 12011, Aurea Experience-includes unlimited beverages, spa package, a private sun deck, cooking classes for kids and priority dining times.This cruise goes to Nassau, San Juan and St. Maarten. The Divina has a small kids club with a Smurfs theme, as well as pools and some family friendly activities planned. This newest MSC ship leaves from Miami and the total cost is $2883.00. The deposit now should be $100 per person, although this is subject to change.

By a sizable amount the MSC Divina is the least expensive, with the most perks as well. The drawback to the Divina is the lack of substantial children's activities and family friendly spaces. The Allure of the Seas is chock full of young at heart fun, with all day and night family entertainment. However, RC does not offer any perks like alcoholic/non alcoholic beverages or spa treatments. Carnival comes in as the third cheapest cruise, with a small on board credit. The benefit of the Seuss at Sea, as well as water activities make the Magic a good option. Finally, the NCL Escape offers the latest and greatest in aqua sports fun and includes a generous beverage package, as well as credit towards shore excursions. The high price of over $4000 makes this cruise week an expensive one, however. Also, don't forget to add on a budget for parking fees, flights to and from the port (or gas), shore excursions and gratuities per person, which are added daily by all the cruise lines. 

The take away is my sister and family are looking at a cruise costing between $3200 and $4600 for the week (including gratuities only). They will need to decide on the importance of beverages, spa amenities and kids activities, as well as ports to debark from and visit on their cruise. I will let you know what they end up deciding! :)





 
 

The Latest Information on the Norwegian Sky and Cuba!

So many of you Norwegian fans may have heard that the Sky will be going to Cuba in 2017. I was planning a trip on the Sky for my family to celebrate my son’s 18^th birthday in August so I looked into the sailings in detail for this alcohol included ship. :) My awesome cruise consultant gave me the most up to date information about the plans for Sky cruises to Cuba- as well as requirements for passengers sailing to Havana. Here is what I know:

-          1. The plans as of mid December 2016 are for the NCL Sky to begin cruising to Cuba on many-and most probably all 2017 four day cruises on her beginning in May 2017.

-         2. The 3 day weekend cruises on the Sky will not go to Havana.

-         3. The prices for the Cuba cruises are due to be released on or about December 20^th. There is a chance prices for the 3 day cruises will jump due to the impending itinerary change for the 4 day cruises. (Which is why we booked our cruise now)

-        4. You will need a Visa to travel to Cuba-
“The Cuban government requires anyone who is traveling to Cuba on a passport other than a valid Cuban passport to obtain a visa prior to their arrival into Cuba. For all visitors who were not born in Cuba, this visa, also known as a "tourist card” (or “rosada” which must have a pink and blue background irrespective of your country of residency), is required to enter (and depart from) Cuba for non-business purposes. The Cuban visa is valid for a single entry and allows the holder to stay in Cuba for 30 days. You may obtain this visa through Norwegian for a separate processing and procurement fee of $75 or on your own. Please note that you will not be allowed to board the vessel without proof of acquiring this visa.
The Cuban visa is a two-part card. Cuban immigration officials will take one half upon arrival in Cuba, and guests will surrender the other half to Cuban immigration officials upon departure. Guests should be sure to keep the Cuban visa in a safe place during the trip so they have it at the time of departure from Cuba.”

-     5. You also need a passport to travel to Cuba- a birth certificate will not suffice.

Norwegian is currently offering half off deposits so if you are debating a summer cruise and either do or don’t want to be on the 3 or 4 day itinerary I suggest you book now! :) We do plan to sail to Cuba once our son turns 18 next year and he can get his passport, since everyone needs a new one when they become an adult. :)