schmoopie17

Not to mention airplanes, bars, restaurants and sporting events. Pretty much everywhere people congregate and eat nuts.

Looks like they have realized it with the dropping of Bermuda on two consecutive TAs (including ours).

This is essentially a special drydock to make repairs to damages incurred when it hit something several weeks ago. As far as I know, there aren't plans for anything else to be changed.

I can't say I disagree with Bermuda taking steps to ensure the safety of their island. Fine. They owe that to the citizens of the island. But what the Bermuda apologists on this board fail to mention is the fact that the $40 fee (per person) needs to be paid, EVEN IF YOU REMAIN ON THE SHIP. How does a $40 fee ensure the safety of the island, I ask? This is purely a money grab, plain and simple. They do it because they can. Yes, I realize that, in the scheme of things and the costs associated with the cruise, $40 ($80 in our case) is a drop in the bucket. It's not the money, but the principle. The fact remains, there is absolutely no justification for charging people who don't even set foot on the island. I can find a better use for $80 than being strong-armed for it. Luckily, in our case, NCL has dropped Bermuda from our TA and the majority of people on our cruise couldn't be happier. Not our problem any longer.

Just saw that NCL also dropped Bermuda from the Sun TA departing October 31st. Looks like a trend...

NCL just dropped Bermuda from our November TA...it was the last stop (and an afterthought) on our 17 day cruise after stops in Italy, Spain, France and Portugal. Spending seven hours in Bermuda with all the hoop-jumping we would have had to do wasn't worth it. Apparently NCL agreed. Instead, we get an additional stop in the Azores, and the majority of people on our cruise couldn't be happier.

I'm not sure I understand the question, but several of us suggested writing to the CEO and many did. Although, realistically, I highly doubt that a bunch of emails would cause the CEO to order a cruise ship to instantly change ports. Such an action must have already been in the works, as it would be a major undertaking to drop a port and go to another one. The logistics of such a move would be huge.

You can shake your head all you want, but the $40 (actually $80 for two of us, but who's counting? Oh wait, you are) is the least of my worries. Most of my worries were about the testing requirements. In any case, any negative comments are not going to wipe this huge smile off my face and the weight lifted off our shoulders with this excellent news.

Our November 1st TA just changed the itinerary, dropping Bermuda for an additional stop in the Azores. A number of people from our Roll Call page (as well as the site that cannot be named) conducted an email campaign to the CEO of NCL asking that Bermuda be dropped, due to their inane rules. Bermuda was the final stop on a 16 day cruise, one which would have been only seven hours, and would have required a lot of hoop-jumping. It was an afterthought to most of us, as we booked this cruise to see Italy, Spain, France and Portugal. Bermuda was just someplace to break up the sea days. Now we have no testing requirements for our entire cruise (we would have been required to be tested before embarking in Rome, three weeks before landing in Bermuda). That was followed by an additional test (at $95 per person) to be done two days before landing there. Not to mention the ridiculous $40 money grab. We are breathing a sigh of relief. Christmas has come early.

Our November 1st TA just changed the itinerary, dropping Bermuda for an additional stop in the Azores. A number of people from our Roll Call page (as well as the site that cannot be named) conducted an email campaign to the CEO of NCL asking that Bermuda be dropped, due to their inane rules. Bermuda was the final stop on a 16 day cruise, one which would have been only seven hours, and would have required a lot of hoop-jumping. It was an afterthought to most of us, as we booked this cruise to see Italy, Spain, France and Portugal. Bermuda was just someplace to break up the sea days. Now we have no testing requirements for our entire cruise (we would have been required to be tested before embarking in Rome, three weeks before landing in Bermuda). That was followed by an additional test (at $95 per person) to be done two days before landing there. Not to mention the ridiculous $40 money grab. We are breathing a sigh of relief. Christmas has come early.

The deposit amount has gone up significantly as of today. Yesterday we booked the Eclipse cruise on Discovery Princess for April, 2024. Deposit was $100. Doing a fake booking today, the deposit has gone up to $800.

No corkage fee if they have a Beverage Package. Wine & Champagne Policy Guests may bring bottles of wine and champagne on board. When bottles are brought on board and served or consumed in any restaurant, public room area or in their stateroom, a corkage fee will be charged according to bottle sizes noted below. 750 ml Bottle: $15.00 USD 1,500 ml Magnum: $30.00 USD Wine or champagne sent directly to the ship by travel agents, friends, family, etc. or from another retail source, are subject to the same fees. Box wines are not allowed on board. Corkage Fee is not applicable to guest with beverage package.

Apparently you missed post 151 on page 7. This has nothing to do with taking food off the ship and everything to do with taking it back to their room (or wherever). See below for quote: "We ate half our food one-night around 11PM. wanted to take rest and eat in cabin while we watched movie. We walked out with our plates and out of the Local area, and they started yelling at us, that we couldn't take it out of the restaurant. Was embarrassing. You can take plates of food out of buffet, no one says a word.

I put together this list after researching Yelp and TripAdvisor for restaurants near Piazza Navona and Campo. They all got fairly good reviews, which led to my dilemma as to which to choose. But I appreciate that you took the time to comment on each of them. Looks like we'll be visiting Pasta e Vino and then flipping a coin for the other night. Forgot to include Hosteria Costanza. From what I can gather, the food is okay, but it's a cool place (in a cave)...probably warrants stopping in for a drink, at least.

Will be staying near Piazza Navona and Campo de Fiore. We have two nights open for a moderately priced dinner (preferably pasta and wine) and are having a difficult time deciding between the following: Cantina e Cucina Pasta e Vino Mastro Ciccia Osteria da Fortunata Osteria Pinseria Bistrot Ponta e Parione Again, we only have two nights free and would like to make the most of them. Any input is much appreciated. And I know @cruisemom42always has great suggestions.

There is a live review of the Bliss currently going on this board. The poster is reporting that no food is allowed to be taken out of the Local (which is O'Sheahan's by another name). In fact, it's being reported that people were "yelled at" for trying to take food out. Other people requested a take-out so they could take it on their excursion and were denied. It's on page six...starting at post 145.

We have always wanted to do a Transatlantic and finally decided to do one this November. We were excited to go to Italy, Spain, France, Portugal...and Bermuda was an afterthought, actually. Just a stop to break up the sea days. We'd be fine with bypassing Bermuda and avoiding all the hassle, since it was never a bucket list destination for us like the European stops.

Heard that smoke in the Escape casino can be a problem. True?

Actually, I am. Especially with bourbon (see comment above).

Kudos to you for using the correct verbiage of "I couldn't care less". When I see "I could care less"..."should of"..."all of the sudden", etc., it drives me nuts. 😜

Could it be another NCL "glitch"? Our upcoming November TA (along with several other cruises from October through the end of the year) fell completely off the schedule about a week ago, causing much consternation and speculation among my fellow cruise goers. And just as suddenly as it disappeared, it reappeared.

That's not much of a help, since you still have to test before getting on the ship...in our case, after flying all the way to Rome. Bermuda sucks. I wish there was someone everyone on our TA could write to at NCL to tell them to bypass Bermuda and we wouldn't be subject to their tyrannical BS.

@AndrosWe are entirely on the same page. We can commiserate on the ride from Rome to the ship (unless one of us tests positive in Rome...in which case we will literally miss the boat).

I didn't say they should care about other cruises or NCL. I'm pointing out the inanity of requiring a test three weeks prior to even hitting Bermuda and then another test two days before. I'm fine with them ensuring safety on the island two days before, but a test three weeks prior is meaningless, given the two-day test.

I understand your point about the pre-embarkation testing. However, NCL does not require testing for any of its other Rome embarkations, so the same level of risk would exist on their other cruises. And as you said, the test two days before getting to Bermuda makes the initial test moot.