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Caitlyn
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While I agree and always bring my passport with me, I can see why this would be different. The ship won't stop in any real country. NCL's private island is really like a sand barge with trees, a stage, bar, volleyball net, and umbrellas, all which are unloaded off the ship once you arrive. There's no customs. You are tendered from the ship to the island and you go to the beach for a day. The only ID needed on the island would be your room key which you use to scan in and out of the ship. But to be safe, of course, taking a passport for going through check in before getting on the ship in Miami would be ideal. But it would likely be the only place where it would be needed, if at all.

 

But I always do the "well if the ship ends up sinking or something and needs to stop in port for an emergency, in the Bahamas, there are so many countries owning major islands that if the ship decides to dock there if it couldn't make it back to Miami right away, it would be handy to have your passport." But 99% of the time, of course, that doesn't happen. But I am never one to take those chances :)

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I think I'm going to start filling out the paperwork for one this week. I might end up studying abroad the next couple years, so I might as well get one anyways.

My first class for Hospitality Management (my major) is about cruises. Coincidence? I think not.

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Always better to start early. The process (in the US) can get really drawn out. You don't know how many times I see friends put it off until last minute and scramble to get it done. Also save money on photos by taking them yourself for your passport. I've always done that. And the one time I didn't, the photo came out way worse than if I would have taken it myself lol so save the money and take your own photos, just make sure they meet the requirements.

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I'm going! I've decided that I can't miss this and since I wasn't able to get Breaking Bad finale screening tickets today, at least I saved myself $45 that can go to this trip. I still need to find 1 or 2 roommates. Anyone in need for one?

 

If I decide to go I'd definitely need a roommate or 2! 

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If I decide to go I'd definitely need a roommate or 2! 

 

 

I'm going! I've decided that I can't miss this and since I wasn't able to get Breaking Bad finale screening tickets today, at least I saved myself $45 that can go to this trip. I still need to find 1 or 2 roommates. Anyone in need for one?

 

I'm still deciding, but I will definitely need roommates if I go! I'll be 20, so I miss the age requirement by a year. :P

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I'm still deciding, but I will definitely need roommates if I go! I'll be 20, so I miss the age requirement by a year. :P

 

So you'd have to travel with someone over 21? I'll be 25 by then :P 

 

If you're let's say 3 people in a cabin..how much would each person have to pay? I'm still confused about all of this haha 

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So you'd have to travel with someone over 21? I'll be 25 by then :P

 

If you're let's say 3 people in a cabin..how much would each person have to pay? I'm still confused about all of this haha 

 

It depends on the cabin you want. You can view prices here: http://www.parahoy.com/prices/

 

They work on a double occupancy concept. This means, all room prices are listed based on a minimum of 2 people per room. If you go alone, you pay the full price (double what the 2 person price is).

 

If you go with 1 person (two total), the cost for each person is the total, divided by two.

 

But here's where it gets tricky. If you go with 2 people (three total), the first two people pay half the total cost, and the third person pays half of what one of the first two people pay. The same goes for person #4. But of course you can each divide the costs up evenly if you would like, so it costs less for everyone total, as long as the total payment gets made to the cruise line. Here's what it would look like in an example:

 

Room cost: $1400

 

Person 1: $700

Person 2: $700

Person 3: $350

Person 4: $350

 

And if you all divide up the costs evenly like I mentioned, it would cost $2100 total, divided by the number of people in your cabin, so let's say 4 for example, then the cost per person would be $525. This is NOT including the fees and taxes, which is a flat rate of $215 per person on top of the room cost.

 

This is an example, and will vary depending on the room type you want. Balcony costs more, outside window costs slightly less, inside with no window is the cheapest. There's also suites for those who have 5 people, but those are definitely over $1000 per person.

 

Fair warning, no matter what room type you get, it will be a tight squeeze. NCL has the smallest cruise ship rooms out of the top 4 cruise lines. Why? I don't know. It clearly maximizes the profit potential, but the rooms are smaller than the pictures make them out to be. So keep that in mind. But you won't be in the rooms often. Just to sleep. Promise. It's tolerable. It won't be comfortable if you're all trying to walk around it, but sleeping at night is comfy and pleasant. 

 

Keep in mind these prices INCLUDE all food, entertainment, the trip, the destination, room service, and everything else provided on the ship. The only thing this room cost doesn't cover is the price of alcohol, soda, bingo, specialty restaurants, and any shopping and such on the ship, in a nutshell.

 

 

Hope this answers your questions!

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^ Yes thank you, that answered my question perfectly! 

 

It's so tempting to go, but on top of the price for the cruise I'd have to book plane tickets from Norway too. But I guess I could make a holiday out of it and stay longer in The US when the cruise is over.. hmm decisions decisions. 

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I'm still deciding, but I will definitely need roommates if I go! I'll be 20, so I miss the age requirement by a year. :P

 

Let me know ASAP if you decide to go. I'll be 23 by the time the cruise happens

 

Also, Sandra if you decide and you still need a roommate let me know :D

 

It's so crazy how many people are going to be flying in from all over the world to be on that ship. LOL

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^exactly. I'm hoping I can get a job that way I can pay it all off by the time February roles around. So, do you want to be roommates? I'm thinking I'm going to go for at least 3 people that way it'll be a bit cheaper. I looked at how the 4 beds are set up and I think it'll be too crowded so the most I'm willing to room with are probably 3.

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^exactly. I'm hoping I can get a job that way I can pay it all off by the time February roles around. So, do you want to be roommates? I'm thinking I'm going to go for at least 3 people that way it'll be a bit cheaper. I looked at how the 4 beds are set up and I think it'll be too crowded so the most I'm willing to room with are probably 3.

 

I can attest to the crowdedness. Even in the balcony suites, 4 people won't fit nicely. Even 3 will be rough. But as long as you're all laying down in bed, no one will feel uncomfortable. It's just standing up that is awkward. You can't all stand at the same time or walk in any cabin, while someone else is standing. This is an NCL problem. No other cruise line is as cramped in the rooms. But it's not as bad. If money is a problem, go for 4 people, accept a slightly crowded room and save the money. You won't be in there except for sleeping, anyway. But if you can afford the extra expense to save a bit of room, then go for 3 people. It won't make a world of difference, but I totally understand that personal space is non-existent when cramped in a room with strangers.

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^exactly. I'm hoping I can get a job that way I can pay it all off by the time February roles around. So, do you want to be roommates? I'm thinking I'm going to go for at least 3 people that way it'll be a bit cheaper. I looked at how the 4 beds are set up and I think it'll be too crowded so the most I'm willing to room with are probably 3.

 

I still have a few things to figure out considering money,but yes I'm in.. we can be roommates! 

And I agree, maybe 3 in a room is what's best but if we can save some money then I won't be opposed to having a 4th person with us. Like Dustin said we'll only be sleeping in there anyways! 

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Also, a great tip would be to pack lightly, if possible. Your luggage also has to fit in your room. Usually, the cabin allows you to put your luggage under your bed, but you'll quickly find out that not everyone's luggage can fit under a bed if you bring a full size hard case luggage bag. Then, someone's stuff has to sit somewhere else in the room, taking up floor space, which is already really small. 

 

So if you have 3 people, you might be able to fit luggage fine, but 4 might get tricky. OR, 4 people all packing lightly can fit fine and save money, or 3 people can pack normally and pay more but have more room for luggage....etc.

 

Just something to keep in mind. I know many people look at the photos and try to picture the number of people that can fit. But they forget to include their luggage in that vision haha.

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Yeah, luckily, the number of days on the cruise is in your favor. I know I'm able to pack 4 days of clothes easily, plus maybe one dressier set of clothes for the main dining room. But I'm a guy, so packing light is in my blood. I know for girls it may be trickier, but as long as you're conscious of it, you'll be fine.

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Yeah some guys have it easy! 

I'll have to practice the last weekend of Sept, I'll be in London for only 3 days. If I'll manage to pack light for that trip I'll manage for the cruise too. 

That's a good idea about something a bit more fancy for the main dining room. Hadn't even thought about that! 

 

btw, you seem to know a lot about this ship we'll be traveling with, do you know how they deal with food for people who have food allergies? 

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1. Depending on the ship, there are different policies. NCL sometimes has a dining room that requires dress casual in order to get in. It's for the people who don't want to feel like they are sloppy, scummy, or whatever. Some people like to dress up. And you'll see the dining rooms are VERY fancy looking, so it's nice to match the feel and the service. You'll see when the waiters put your napkin on your lap for you, they are very fancy. Really great quality. Shows how far your money goes in terms of service. Great stuff. So in a nutshell, bring at least one semi-dressy outfit for dinner.

 

In the old days, there were at least 1-2 formal nights on ships. I think those trends are slowly fading away. Keep in mind cruising used to be for ritzy, wealthy people. So that was a trend back then, to be very formal at dinner. So these days some ships have formal nights, others just require bare minimum effort to look nice for dinner.

 

But there's at least always 1 main dining room that allows you to eat no matter what you're wearing. Which is just as fancy as the other main dining room. Just no dress code. So you have options. No one forces you to dress any way in particular if you don't want to. Just know that your options are greater if you're prepared.

 

I also hear there will be themed nights on the ship for this Paramore cruise. It's not something most cruises have, but likely because it's a band cruise, it's something Sixthman is putting on to make cruise life interesting. So keep an eye out for that as well.

 

2. I've been on a bunch of cruises on multiple cruise lines. I've also been on the sister ship of the Norwegian Pearl (the Gem). Same exact ship. Just different name. There's 2 other sister ships as well. The Jewel and Jade. They are all the same ship, mostly. Just different design on the outside, and maybe slightly different decor on the inside. And I've also been to the island we're going to on this cruise. It's really barely an island. More like a sand barge with trees. It's privately owned by NCL (like most cruise lines in the Bahamas/Caribbean, they all own at least one of their own islands). So don't get excited to see any kind of wildlife or locals. There's technically not even any buildings, minus the bar. Everything gets set up on the island as we tender from the ship to the island. So, to answer your question, yeah I guess I know a lot. This will be my first band-related cruise, but I've done quite a few others as well, and also have another cruise planned after this one, later in 2014.

 

As for food allergies, good news! The crew is more than welcome to accommodate any food allergies. Just make sure you tell your waiter at dinner before you order anything. Or if you want to order anything specifically, you can ask your waiter if it has any particular ingredient in it, and they can tell you. Usually they know the menu really well and can answer, but if not, they will as a supervisor who can. Same goes for the buffet or any specialty restaurant. The chefs and waiters are always right by the food so there's always someone to ask. For the buffet and even in the restaurants, you can also order food to be customized to remove an ingredient if you're allergic to it. So you can still enjoy the food you want without it being off limits.

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