mertziek
-
Posts
1,648 -
Joined
Content Type
Forums
Store
Blogs
Downloads
Events
Gallery
Posts posted by mertziek
-
-
First off we had this happen for our Alaska cruise in Oct. My sister got Covid and documented it on a proctored test about 5 days before our cruise. She contacted her physician who told her she was not well enough to travel until well beyond boarding day with a letter stating the same. We thought about canceling her in advance but then she would become Passenger 3 not 2 on a two bedroom cabin reservation with 3 in it and not recoup the full amount she paid for the cruise. Plus this late NCL will not refund you. After talking to the ncl provided insurance agent, we left everything as it was on the outside chance she would be able to travel - she couldn’t - and I notified NCL at embarkation she was not able to travel and she was canceled then. Passengers #1 (me) and #3 (another sister) did the cruise with no extra charges to us. After I returned from the cruise we gathered all documentation - proctored Covid test result, doctor statement about her inability to travel, the guest reservation document with cruise charges per passenger and our itinerary, copies of all credit card statements with payments made matching charges on the final guest reservation and submitted it all to the NCL insurance provider. My sister received a check - that’s right, a cash refund not FCC - for the full amount she paid as Passenger #2 minus the insurance charges within 2 weeks of submitting her claim. Now that was much quicker than I expected since I recently waited two months for a medical claim I previously submitted. So if you have the NCL insurance, don’t cancel until embarkation and your roommate should be ok and not pay a single supplement and then proceed to file with your insurance carrier. Look at your Covid as if you had a major health issue like an MI on embarkation day and go from there BUT the doctor’s statement is very important to have for your documentation.
If you call NCL, they will cancel just you with a penalty and then might bill your roommate for the single supplement. It’s really best to cancel the day of embarkation IF you have insurance.
-
2 hours ago, AMHuntFerry said:
I think you misunderstood (easy to do when two things have the same name)...the OP is asking about VS-category on Riviera, not suites on the new ship, "Vista".
That’s correct. I’m wondering about Vista suites on Oceania Riviera.
-
We are booked in a Vista suite on Oceania Riviera in the future. Is there a difference between Vista suite/balcony size on deck 9 vs deck 10? TIA for replies.
-
Who has access to executive lounge?
-
18 minutes ago, LHT28 said:
Room service 24/7 no charge
Buffet =Terrace Cafe
https://www.oceaniacruises.com/ships/riviera/culinary-experiences
N/C to the movies AFAIK
Thank you for the info.
-
15 minutes ago, ORV said:
By light issues they mean you have to keep your curtains closed so your lights don't affect the visibility of the officers on the bridge at night. It's not light coming in your room.
On an NCL cruise we had to keep heavy drapes closed at night in our front facing suite. Not a big deal.
-
Sorry to break in but you’re on the Riviera so thought you could answer questions for my sister. Booked on Riviera and first time to Oceania. Do they have room service? Is there a charge? Is there a buffet? If in a concierge veranda suite, do you pay extra for TV movies?
-
We usually tip extra, too, but wondering if we need to consider even more for staff not included on the gratuities charged in advance. Also, do they have a buffet on the Riviera? Asking for my sister who likes quick meals. She booked with us, too, in a concierge Veranda suite.
-
Ok here’s another question. We prepaid tips. Does this cover the butler and steward? On NCL the butler and Concierge are not covered by daily service charges but steward is.
-
23 minutes ago, mauibabes said:
If you really like the front of the ship location, keep reading the FAQ’s because there can be issues with nighttime lighting and oncoming winds and motion of the ocean in those suites. IMHO you could opt for an Oceania Suite, a little smaller at 1,000 sq ft but an Outstandingly well laid out Suite and you will save 💵💵 and still get all the perks of the VS. We have been in both and the Oceania Suite is the Winner in our book. Feel free to ask for others opinions/experiences.
Keep dreaming and enjoy your Oceania cruise.
MauibabesWe actually love the front facing suites and have usually booked them in the past on other cruise ships. I also realize there can be light issues at night. A bit of a nuisance but we love to see where we are going so we put up with it. It’s always interesting to read about different opinions on room placement but good thing we don’t all like the same kind.
-
Thank you for all replies. I’m slowly navigating the website and found the Frequently Asked Questions that has helped a lot. And I think we will upgrade the beverage package since we like to drink between and after meals. Good thing fbi have a long time to educate myself!
-
We just booked a cruise on Oceania Riviera for Nov 2024. We are new to the brand (usually do deluxe owners suites on NCL) so bear with me since I have a few questions.
Are there coffee makers in each suite/room?What are the Vista suite perks?
Does free Internet come with the Vista suite?
Do we need to pre-book dinners, excursions?
We bought the house liquor plan. Any insight on what’s included? Mixed drinks? Or do you advice upgrading beverage packages? On NCL we always went with the regular beverage package.
TIA for all of your assistance. I’m sure I’ll have more questions but this is a good start.
-
3 hours ago, Funky Fusion FoodsJ said:
It appears you're going to the UK site. Clear your cookies and try again.
Thank you. It worked and prices are not back in US$’s.
-
When I do a search for cruise pricing I’m getting British pounds and not US dollars. Anyone know how to change the currency? I’m in the US and it all of a sudden changed when I do searches. TIA
-
Just now, FLcruisergrl said:
What types of specials did they have in the Haven?
One lunch special was an egg wrapped in sausage and a breading then deep fried. My husband liked it. A dinner special involved salmon but we did not try it so don’t know more about it. Sorry those are the only 2 I know were available.
-
1
-
-
Just now, MsTabbyKats said:
Thank you for the review. "Reservations" aren't my thing nor are slippery floors or crowded atriums.
I understand why the Prima isn't your first choice.
You didn't mention a casino so I assume you're not a player. But if you were there, was it a decent size?
Casino did see a lot of us. It’s big, very nice and has a secluded area for smokers but they have no Wheel of Fortune machines. 😡
-
16 hours ago, debenson0723 said:
Boy, did I miss Silas!
Great, comprehensive review and my observations as well. Its a beautiful ship but its not the ship for me.
I’m sure there are others who feel differently. Beautiful ship but design is a bit off.
-
Just now, Steff79 said:
*The Noise Boys were 45 minutes of rap, beat boxing and tap dancing. A few minutes would have been ok and the artists were good but given the age group on TA cruises I’m not sure it was the best fit.*
After one show I went into the elevator and two older Ladys were in. One of them asked me if I came from
the noise boys show and I said yes. Then she told me that she expected not much of that show but loved it.
I know. I met a couple of ladies my age who loved it, too. As I said everyone experiences these cruises through their own personal lens. I just reviewed it from mine.
-
Recently off Prima on b2b cruises from Copenhagen to NYC. We were in the Haven on both cruises. I want to emphasize we had wonderful b2b cruises and loved our time on board. We were happy to sail on the Prima but do not feel this ship is a good fit for us again unless the itinerary can’t be beat. I finally understand why many people prefer different ships after our experience on the Prima. I always felt a cruise ship is a cruise ship but Prima’s design is different enough from other ships we sailed that if given the chance of 2 similar itineraries, we would opt for a ship other than Prima.
A few of our observations -*The staff was as wonderful as always. They will bend over backwards to take care of any of your requests, always with a smile. We saw several staff we were onboard with on the Joy in February and every one said they missed the Joy. They did not outright criticize the Prima, commented on how nice and new the ship is, but they liked the Joy better and we could read between the lines.
*Never once saw the Cruise Director. Usually they would be at all of the shows but not on these 2 cruises.
*The food was absolutely the best in all areas. We ate in a few specialty restaurants, the main dining rooms (food choices were a fixed menu but varied and really good), the Local, the buffet, the Indulge Food Court but mainly we ate in the Haven. By the way we were offered the special of the day in the Haven restaurant for lunch and dinner a few times so I’m hopeful this will become the routine. The Haven food was as good as in the specialty restaurants and we liked the familiarity of the Haven waitstaff and the quieter environment. The buffet is much smaller than on other ships with fewer selections but we always found something to eat and all things were fresh and tasty. The biggest problem is the seating area is also significantly smaller so it was very crowded and we were sailing at about 60-65% capacity. We were sailing in cool weather so outdoor venues were infrequently used; when in warmer climates, it might not be as crowded.
*The Atrium is located on 3 levels and much smaller and chopped up than other ships. It always felt crowded and not a good area for activities as we experienced on other cruises. The decor was beautiful but all 3 Atrium levels felt crowded.
*There were fewer shops than on mega and mid size ships and most merchandise was geared to expensive items. I missed shopping for Anne Klein and Fossil watches. Plus the sundry shop was sparsely stocked.
*Since so many venues are so small, not only did you have to make reservations for specialty dining but also for lectures, painting classes (and why they had Canvas U Paint in the Local where whenever the outside door was opened everything went blowing because of wind tunnel effect frustrating the staff as well as passenger participants), some games, as well as major shows. Many people over 2 cruises could not get in to see shows due to the small venues. Plus, when they had performers in these smaller venues and bars, the sound was overwhelming and too loud. We really do not like the chopped up feel of the ship. In addition, all this need for pre-booking has defeated the intent of Free Style cruising.
*I missed the production shows by the dedicated NCL performers. They seemed to offer a better variety of show. Donna Summer was ok although I know most people loved it but we felt it was a bit disjointed and not that good. The Noise Boys were 45 minutes of rap, beat boxing and tap dancing. A few minutes would have been ok and the artists were good but given the age group on TA cruises I’m not sure it was the best fit. Why they did not have the Rumors group perform in the theater is beyond me because what little we heard in passing was very good but they were in Syd Norman’s Pour House so few people could see them at one time and you had to prebook so there was no way the majority of passengers could see them. Definitely did not need a show of ballroom dancers. They were good but 45 minutes was hard to sit through. Enjoyed The Nashville Tenors a lot.
*The staterooms are beautifully decorated and we heard no complaints about accommodations other than creaking in the ceilings on several decks. The showers are bigger than those teeny tiny ones on other ships. Others say the creaking in ceilings is due to a new ship so hopefully it will work it’s way out.
*Light switches are tough to figure out and are delayed in responding. I prefer a simple on/off light switch. One night at 11 pm we discovered we could not turn off any of our lights (even after we turned the switch off the lights automatically came back on) and maintenance was there in a few minutes and worked over an hour to fix it. Fast response time! After 22 days onboard, we still had trouble using our lights or figuring them out due to the delay in responding. Same with the tv. It took a long time for the system to load. But in the Haven we had free movies with a wide range to select from and they cycled many of these same movies on the regular tv channels available to all cruisers so a lot of variety free to all cruisers. They also aired NFL football on a special channel.
*The internet service is terrible and often just not available. Now I recognize when we are in fjords with mountains around us can make service hit or miss but even at open sea, we experienced serious delays that I feel are inexcusable in this day and age. Yes, I know many will say you should not be on the Internet on your vacation but some of us need to stay connected for family and business purposes. This internet issue is not unique to Prima and something we have experienced on several NCL ships so I’m hoping they will figure out a way to upgrade/improve their service. They certainly charge enough for it!
*The Haven 2 and 3 bedroom staterooms with hot tubs are stunning with a lot of room. Quite luxurious and we felt pampered. The shower floors are very slippery and with the rough seas we had, I held on to the safety bar for dear life so I would not slip and put hand towels down on the floor in the shower. I told our steward to let the CEO know about that hazard since he was going to be in our suite this cruise. Also the vanities in the 2 and 3 bedroom premier suites have terrible lighting. I do know the regular balcony rooms have a big light around the mirror with great lighting and should not be a problem in those. First world problems…
*There is no dedicated walking/jogging path and is a design mistake. People did walk on deck 8 but there are outdoor venues on Deck 8 that in good weather will be heavily populated so not conducive to walking. Also there are a lot of twists, turns and dead ends on several decks but eventually we learned our way around. Miss the fish showing you forward but most floors have triangles in the carpet pointing the way.
*The Haven is spread out over several decks and feels a bit big. The Haven elevators are very nice but often we found the regular elevators were quicker. Now the Haven was fully booked so the other areas were less populated so that may account for some of that. There were no stairs within the Haven to use so if you went up one floor or down a flight, you needed to use the elevators.
*This ship has a lot of outside venues that will be nice for warmer climates but given our itinerary they were not used this trip. I think that will help relieve some of the congestion. But be forewarned, the Haven overlooks many of the outdoor venues so if noise bothers you you might want to reconsider your room. We heard noises echoing up from deck 8 even with the cold, rainy cruise we were on. It will only get busier and noisier when cruising in warmer climes. Did not bother us but it might bother those who love the peaceful wake view. Also, the aft balconies are set back due to the Indulge outside area so another thing to consider. You do not directly overlook the wake but are set back from it.
*And finally we really are not aft ship passengers and much prefer the forward facing rooms. We like seeing our cruise into the ports and missed that this cruise. We also noticed soot on our balcony several times.
*Despite the low passenger count, the spa was reportedly crowded every day. This might be due to cruising in the north in the fall and not an issue in warmer climes.
There were a lot of technical things with port stops on both cruises but most things are to be expected with a new ship into these ports. The Captain kept everyone well informed and explained late arrivals, missed ports, etc. He was also around the ship a lot. I saw him 4-5 times which I thought was a lot. Also we had several days of rough seas with rain - thank you North Atlantic hurricane residuals - but all in all felt the crew/Captain did their best to keep us on schedule.Would we do this cruise again? Knowing what we know now probably not if the same itineraries were available on other ships but the Prima is a beautiful ship and hopefully they can work out some of the bugs. We were happy to do her first TA itinerary and are going home really tired out. I’m sure there are others who will have strong opinions different from my own and I recognize we each experience cruises through our own personal lens. Hopefully this will help others decide if they want to book Prima in the future.-
6
-
3
-
-
On 8/25/2022 at 9:29 PM, mearsfansinboise said:
I just read on another thread that crew masks are no longer required; is that the case on your sailing?
--- we're on this sailing October 15; the last one of the season. Looking forward to your report and photos, thank you!
We’re on this last cruise of season to Alaska, too. Still wondering if we will be getting to Skagway.
-
1
-
-
On 8/23/2022 at 12:27 AM, BirdTravels said:
NCL Check-in is flaky. Tomorrow you'll be able to grab your eDocs (if they are not already available). A day later, your check-in may drop back down to 85%. If it does, then quickly go back into the personal health section (even though it has a green check) and look for the option to selection a check-in time. Once you select a time, you'll go back to 100% and your eDocs will be regenerated with the check-in time on the boarding pass.
And just as you predicted, this morning I was only 85% checked in and was able to select a port arrival time.
-
3
-
-
I just completed my checkin for Sept 13 Prima cruise and have all green arrows, 100% checked in, but did not ask me for my port arrival time. Is there somewhere to denote that on the checkin that I missed?
-
Well we booked onboard the Star just a week ago and received the 10% discount plus my sister
got the one category upgrade within the balcony group.
-
I do love the ability to pre-purchase the Vibe passes. It seemed so senseless having early arrivers rushing to buy the passes on embarkation. I hope they save a few passes for people who don’t frequent the internet to buy once onboard much like they do for dining reservations.
-
3
-
Cancelled Flights
in Norwegian Cruise Line
Posted
This is the best news! So happy you made it. I feel so sad for all who have been similarly impacted, many not making their cruise or other plans. Such a disappointment. Now relax in your hotel after the drama of the past several hours and have a wonderful cruise and a healthy, happy and prosperous 2023. Thank you for coming back to let us know how it all worked out for you.