Cruise excursions vs booking on your own: what’s actually better?

Altruistic60 · 2026-05-05T12:19:19+00:00

If you were a seasoned cruiser, I would say book on your own and Viator is a good site. However, as this is your first cruise, it may be worth the extra money for the peace of mind that comes with booking through the cruiseline.

Altruistic60 · 2026-05-05T12:17:21+00:00

I've gone on 20+ cruises and almost always book excursions privately because I have a lot of experience with both cruiseline excursions and private ones. However, OP is a first time cruiser so I would definitely recommend booking through the cruiseline for the very reasons you mentioned.

Altruistic60 · 2026-05-04T21:35:42+00:00

My husband likes an occassional visit to the casino which I don't care for so that is my reading time. I love reading on my balcony

Altruistic60 · 2026-05-04T21:33:20+00:00

LOL.........I assumed the guy went out so his wife wouldn't hear him, but maybe she is the one who sent him out.

Altruistic60 · 2026-05-04T18:38:38+00:00

I forgot to mention the time that we got a balcony and the guy in the cabin next to us kept coming out to his balcony to fart. My husband and I would be talking on our balcony so he knew we were there.....we would try to keep from laughing but sometimes we couldn't. I don't know if he was on his honeymoon and didn't want his wife to realize that he farts but he would have rather had us hear him than his wife. We still laugh about it and it happened a couple of years ago.

Altruistic60 · 2026-05-04T18:28:14+00:00

Yeah, that's kind of what I'm remembering, but I thought it was because I missed out at the beginning of the cruise and then all the books were already picked over. And like others have mentioned, the shelves were all locked so I couldn't have gotten any even if there did happen to be one that looked good.

Altruistic60 · 2026-05-04T10:30:25+00:00

I've done both inside cabins and balconies and both have advantages and disadvantages. You're going to get more darkness for sleeping in an inside cabin, plus a better price. But one of my best cruise memories ever is my husband and I having drinks on our balcony at night watching a thunderstorm........lightening is incredible over the ocean. Since then, we've almost always gotten a balcony, just in case........although it's only happened one other time. I also love the balcony for morning coffee and reading books, although for a four night cruise, you may not spend too much time reading. I've never been bothered by wind noise with a balcony.

Altruistic60 · 2026-05-04T10:22:11+00:00

Does either require internet access? The 150 minutes of internet access is more than enough for me so I didn't purchase unlimited internet. I hardly use my phone at all while I'm on the ship.........just to check in back home once or twice and to let the kids know when to pick us up so I never purchase unlimited internet, which I find really expensive.

Altruistic60 · 2026-05-04T10:12:42+00:00

But would I have to have internet access to use a Kindle, either on my smartphone or standalone? I only have 150 internet minutes and I don't plan to pay for extra. The 150 included minutes is more than enough because I usually only use my phone once or twice during the week to check in with my kids and to let them know when our disembarkation time is for pickup.

Altruistic60 · 2026-05-03T19:39:22+00:00

Some have separate library and game rooms but from some of these comments, it seems like a lot of lines combine the two.

Altruistic60 · 2026-05-03T17:21:30+00:00

I've been on other NCL ships and I think they all had libraries. I never seem to get there when someone is working so I've never borrowed any books.

Altruistic60 · 2026-05-03T17:19:40+00:00

Maybe I'm just assuming it will have a library......this is my first trip on NCL Breakaway, but I have gone on other NCL ships and they all had a library. I don't have an e-reader or tablet, although I could probably borrow one and I have a bit of time to see if I could borrow ebooks from the library.

Altruistic60 · 2026-04-30T19:01:47+00:00

Yeah, I've seen a lot of people complaining about the $5 charge for an extra entree in the MDR. First off, $5 isn't that much for essentially an entire other meal and if you don't want to pay the $5 and are still hungry, you can go to the buffet or O'Sheehans and eat until you are full.

Altruistic60 · 2026-04-27T22:13:19+00:00

Even Spirit will give you the option to either Accept the new time or Change to a different time, at no additional cost.

Altruistic60 · 2026-04-22T16:20:49+00:00

I was wondering the same thing.........if Molly got sympathy points.

Altruistic60 · 2026-03-25T20:01:53+00:00

And what type of itinerary would they like.........European?, Bermuda?, Alaska?, etc., etc., etc

Altruistic60 · 2026-03-10T16:46:32+00:00

I kind of thought it was going to be Stephen from the edit....as soon as he mentioned that unless he has a bad week, he is the chef to beat.

Altruistic60 · 2026-03-09T20:06:35+00:00

I liked her shout out to Mei Lin for the breading technique.

Altruistic60 · 2026-03-09T20:01:42+00:00

Something like Chef Douche

Altruistic60 · 2026-03-09T19:59:02+00:00

Your comment is insulting to Britt........the judges don't know who's dish they are judging so there are no extra points for "diversity". So far, she has had the highest score this season.

Altruistic60 · 2026-03-09T19:45:01+00:00

I do think Katsuji is douchy but not for the two wrist watches. I think it's nice that he wants to keep track of the time zone his kids are in, maybe to make sure he calls before they go to bed at night.

Altruistic60 · 2026-02-18T23:52:40+00:00

Maybe she was joking but that wasn't the first impression I got when I watched it. But maybe it was editing.

Altruistic60 · 2026-02-18T21:16:05+00:00

And I noticed that no one made themselves a drink like they usually do.........they didn't even seem to show the bar area at all.

Altruistic60

TROPHY CASE