SweetPea

1 hour ago, Andrew72681 said:

I’m with you on the NCL CruiseNext program, so much easier to just give them lots of money for a little bit of OBC and figure out the date later. 

Yeah totally. We always buy 2 500$ Haven certs for 750$ when I have OBC. We get 1000$ worth in deposit when we book 6 months out. 

So for our Bliss 12 night Haven Southern Caribbean, I used 750$  Norwegian given OBC to buy 2 Haven certs to put a deposit down on the Bliss 12 night Southern Caribbean. So essentially I got 1000$ deposit free. 

We gave the Pub an unopened jar of Bleu Cheese Stuffed Olives. They're too polite to keep it to themselves. If you're a fan of Bloody Mary's or Dirty Martinis next cruise, ask them for some to complement your drink. 

Don't get me wrong.. We loved the walk in showers on Royal. But I think the showers with benches like Haven are better. Bath set up and supplies (bar the Shampoo that doubles as a body wash) are better in Haven. This is the Singular place Haven wins in a Landslide. Plus, the dressing table. If you're blind like me, the magnifying mirror is amazing. 

Also, yes, I did recon. And someone kind enough from the FB SC cruisers group suggested the personalized stationery. He can't use it. But loves his pens.

1 minute ago, spiralqueen said:

Thank you! I hope to bring even a quarter of the humor and charm that you had for your recent liveblog 

Don't be silly. I border on ridiculous. I look forward to your Oasis class blog! I am dying to try that class! 

32 minutes ago, Spartan4Ever said:

Gotta say Jesus' giraffe towel animal is damn impressive!  Did the neck stand on its own like that or did you lean it up against something?  If it was standing on its own that is incredible!!!

Looks like the gift for Derick was perfect - did you know that he hand wrote out the day's activities each day? Is that how you chose the personalized pen and stationery?  I also thought it was pretty cool that he did that.  How can his handwriting not be similar to a doctor's scribbles on an Rx by now?  I know mine is after all the signing I do at work.  That extra level of personal attention was a very nice touch!  

One last comment re: the NCL Haven bathrooms - they were probably more awe inspiring than the interior of my aqua theater suite.  LOL  Not sure how NCL decided to devote that much cabin space and money to a bathroom area but it definitely is luxurious. Something I also majorly missed on my last Royal cruise. 

Welcome back home - hopefully it's warmer in Jersey than it is here in Michigan.  Reality sucks.  Take care SweetPea! 

I'm going to give you a close up of the amazing giraffe. He used tape and rubber bands. 

Gosling's always packages nicely. We bought 4 bottles totaling 84$. Will advise if we're charged duty. 

The comedian tonight AL Something, I will look this up later, was very good. The Esplanade is a madhouse. I never made it to the Next Cruise desk. My Jersey prevailed... No patience for people who have no clue what they want. 

I should've asked Derick to schedule this for me. This is totally my fault. I will give the Edge to Norwegian on this one. You simply buy discounted deposit certs that are attached to your Latitudes account, and can be used as payment for any cruise. Plus, you can do that via the app. If there is a way to do this on the Royal IQ I haven't found it. 

This madhouse was like Disney future cruises before they wised up and went the placeholder /cert route also. 

Our weather today. Fog horns sounding a lot this afternoon. 

This of course is after checking the spelling of his name no less than 8,352 times. 

Now that we're nearly packed, I'm very happy I always bring a carry-on that's full of the things we won't be coming home with. Champagne, sunscreen, treats for the crew, etc. 

I'm so glad I continued that tradition as we wound up with a lot of swag and needed the extra space. Note we bought nearly nothing. Plan ahead! 

9 minutes ago, jaullram said:

SweetPea - we have read some reviews that Star Class suites can have the drink cart come around at a certain time of day in the afternoon.  Was this an option for you on Anthem?  We are planning on having our room stocked with beer but would love it if they came around and made us a mixed drink or a glass of wine.

Sounds like you had an amazing time - we can't wait for ours in March!

Hi, I've also read about the elusive bar cart. We have not seen it. But if you want anything, simply call your Genie. He'll send drinks to your room, no problem. 

Also, it was our experience that many bartenders recognized us as SC, and loaded us up if I was carrying a bag (beers, waters). 

Enjoy! 

Will be following. Happy planning! 

We are just put putting along on this overcast day. It breaks my heart a little that Derick is now finalizing plans for his new guests tomorrow. I know, I know. Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened! 

Thank you notes are done. I can have my breakfast now. Batman is packing. 

Last dinner in CK tonight. Perhaps a comedian. 

One thing I like to note for first time SCers: if your Genie has something scheduled for you and you don't want to go, just say so. Just let him or her know. We've found that Derick books his folks private sessions (Escape room, North Star, bridge tour, etc) together. So if you don't plan to do it, let him know so he's not waiting to see if you'll come. 

We scratched most of our Day 2 itinerary until 6, let him know, and he appreciated the heads up. 

11 hours ago, Spartan4Ever said:

SweetPea - I know I'm a little late in bringing up this post, but we also saw Clint Holmes on our cruise in March and I was blown away by his performance.  Like you, it wasn't at all what I was expecting but my husband and I walked away saying it was the best performance we saw all week.  Very heartfelt - he definitely put his all into the show.  Very sweet that you and he had a connection/moment - I'm sure he appreciated it as much as you did.  

Thanks for the continued Haven comparisons - sounds like NCL has ditched straws completely?  It's obviously been too long since I have cruised with them.  I took my own straws on the Royal SC cruise in March - paper wasn't going to cut it for me either.  LOL  

I was in an aqua theater suite so it wasn't the same as yours but the bathrooms/makeup areas on Royal just do not compare to what I've experienced on NCL.  Seems odd to place that much emphasis on a bathroom/makeup area but it does tend to spoil you when you have it! 

Sounds like you and Batman are having a great cruise - your blog has been enjoyed by all!   

I wanted to respond to you last night but clearly I was not in a state to do it.

Clint was amazing. And no, that 20$ CD single never did make it to our room, but that doesn't matter. 

NCL is weird about straws. Some ships have paper, most don't. Some have them at the start of your voyage, and then all of a sudden, they're gone. And I do hate paper straws anyway. You can taste them. 

And yes, thank you for validating my feelings about the importance of a dressing table. Even with the mirror lights on, I have to check to make sure I'm properly blended in the light of the bathroom. 

Well, as I said, breakfast came early, but I'm forbidden from enjoying it just yet, even though the hair of the dog is probably in order. 

I've got to go write thank you notes. This is something I always do, something that can be shared with superior officers. With a little $omething to remember us by. 

Batman put a ban on me doing this while drinking, after I once managed to give an unsolicited letter of recommendation to an officer for a crew member we sailed with many times. I extolled her virtues and made my case that the next time we sailed with her, she should be in a white suit and sporting stripes. You've seen my drinking posts... I'm not sure I ever stated my case clearly. However, I still keep in touch with this crew member, and it turns out I was the cause of a good laugh. But in the end, the officer was touched I took the time to do it.

2 hours ago, karl_nj said:

Very nice. How does Haven handle it?   Not quite as well?

Cape Liberty is much better these days compared to the Manhattan or Brooklyn cruise terminals. So it goes pretty smoothly even for the us peons sailing in steerage. 

Two weeks ago they didn’t even bother doing customs, since immigration was handled in Boston. I was finishing my coffee in the MDR at 730am and opening my front door at 828am.

I was shocked. Everything was super smooth. My luggage number was called early, all my luggage was in one place in the terminal (4 bags!). They had people helping at the parking payment machines and at each exit gate. Was very impressive. 

But you never know when things can go wrong, so having that sort of service available can come in very handy...

Haven in NYC does have an expedited security line that is shared with the Casinos at Sea folks. Check in is then in its own area in the back. It's a large sitting area with food. And it's standard procedure: security photo, your printed key cards, signing a health waiver. This is also where you meet your concierge. A butler then escorts you on, and there is an elevator reserved to take you to the Haven. You check your bags like everyone else, but you are given priority tags. 

Disembarkation is easy, but you still must leave your luggage out the night before. Many a time, we've lost track of when that is supposed to be and the Haven staff flags us down and helps. Oops. When you're ready to disembark, the concierge escorts you off via service elevator and then hands you off to someone ashore who continues your escort where your luggage is waiting in a priority area. 

Wow, this post took a lot out of me, lol. Room service came an hour and a half early.

I'm just going to finish this beer. Then I'm going to bed. Seriously. 

Gross. 

Have you ever watched My 600 Pound Life? I may need to call Dr. Now after the Star Class Food Coma Syndrome (SCFCS). That should be a thing. Really. 

Batman just said, I'm going to lie down and moan. 

And he did. I'm a bit concerned. Do Apple watches check your breathing? I am a Samsung girl.  I wouldn't know. I just know, He's set an unimpressive excersize ring closure. I'm concerned I don't have a portable mirror to check for fog later tonight. Later tonight? When do you go brain dead? Nevermind. He's moving. 

And we couldn't even put a dent in this mess. 

Plus, I feel like this is taking way too long to type. & I feel like exercise might be spelled funny. 

I feel like hitting submit might not be fortuitous at the moment. Thank God for word prediction. 

OH well, I'll just kiss this post up to God. 

After all, you were warned of PUI early on. 

We keep saying we're disgusted with ourselves, but this is such a waste and people are still starving in Ethiopia, right? 

Seriously, I'm calling my doctor Monday morning and doing a week long water detox. 

Also, this is how we know we're headed home. 

Batman has declared if we both die of heart attacks, and let's face it, we're both at that age, it's Derick's fault. 

We told him no late night feeding tonight. 

Not only did he not oblige, he went overboard.

I'm 5'2" and almost 50 for God's sake. I can eat nothing without gaining 12 pounds. This is completely wrong on so many levels. 

If anyone knows where I can order a tapeworm and a detox place that accepts high deductible policies, please lmk. 

Sweetest steward ever. 

This crew. 

SweetPea Reminder: you have a Next Cruise appointment at 4:30 with the 3rd available attendant.