Fifi1910

@amygutman I either get a pot of tea and fresh milk delivered to the room or ask the bar staff for some in the lounge. Always get strange looks from others as I sit and have a cup of tea and perhaps a slice of cake from the courtyard, not quite afternoon tea but a nice pause from the alcohol for a few minutes. The water from the coffee machine tastes (unsurprisingly) of coffee.

No I wasn’t doubting what you said at all, NCL never give clear answers or reasons, they make it up as they go. I think if I remember I’ve received one welcome letter and luggage tags in the post in 9 years so they’re not consistent.

I think NCL employees just make up random reasons why they can’t be bothered to do something.

I’m not sure that’s correct. We’re from the UK and I’ve emailed the haven concierge a few times and they have made dining reservations and set up my bar preferences in the owners suite.

Just got off of the Getaway 12 day Port Canaveral to Lisbon TA. Fantastic trip. Calm seas. Sun everyday except Great Stirrup Cay where we had torrential rain. Loved all the sea days.

I love the spa but every time I get a treatment they try and sell me Botox or fillers. Every time I come away depressed about how I look. I didn’t think I looked that bad for an old bird 🤣🤣. At a captains party in the Haven on my last cruise I told the Spa manager that it wasn’t good that they were doing this whilst someone’s trying to have a relaxing treatment, he thought it was funny. It certainly puts me off.

I’m not sure it’s a staffing issue. How could they foresee a guest needing to be served by 6 people. I’ve certainly not been conditioned into expecting less, I make use of what I’ve paid for but not at the expense of others. Yes I feel sorry for the poor staff being treated like a piece of s*** there’s no excuse for that however much you’ve spent on your holiday. I think NCL feels plenty of heat from certain guests demanding what they expect, I’ve stood behind them at the concierge desk while they make their feelings known. As I think someone else mentioned if you go to a 5* restaurant you certainly wouldn’t be allowed to act that way. We often dine at Gordon Ramseys in The Savoy London and wouldn’t dream of asking them if we could have food from somewhere else, I can just hear Gordon’s answer to that one 🤣😂🤣

I don’t wish to inflame this topic anymore than it already has been but I have personally experienced slow/ no service because numerous guests were requesting items from other restaurants. On the Epic in July this year two separate groups of guests had staff running around getting food from all over the ship, their butlers bringing stuff from lord knows where. Restaurant managers trying to calm them all down when it wasn’t done fast enough or it wasn’t quite what they wanted. Small children at 9.30 at night needing blankets as they were cold and wanted to sleep, the poor staff explaining that they don’t have blankets but offering them tablecloth’s. They were served multiple glasses of wine from other bars and still left it all untouched on the table. At one point there were 6 members of staff at one table. Luckily we’re chilled so didn’t make a fuss about our meal taking a bit longer but you could see the staff’s frustration, when they apologised to us you could see they were waiting for us to start complaining. I’m sure there would have been guests complaining. This happened every time we dined in the Haven and at breakfast.

Both my air wrap and supersonic worked but at a much reduced capacity. Last time I thought I’d go with cabin hairdryer and bring Dyson corrale straightener but it didn’t work at all. 😩

My experience in the Haven has been a bit mixed regarding service from the concierge. I usually find their time is taken up with the more demanding passengers, which is fine as we are low maintenance. Last cruise on the Epic two weeks ago there were a few groups of very demanding passengers who took up the time of concierge, the restaurant manager’s and any other employees they could complain to from the minute they boarded. It made for quite uncomfortable dining in the Haven restaurant with multiple servers, maitre D’s, the concierge and butlers constantly trying to please them. Everyone is different and perhaps expects different levels of service, I think perhaps the concierge prioritises the most demanding people first to avoid a major drama.

Thank you.

Hi Keith I remember you posted about which restaurants it was best to use your platinum voucher and which were best to use the free at sea dining. I know you did a whole thread about it but I can’t seem to find it. Thank you.

In reference to the original question we did the chefs table on the Spirit and it was a very enjoyable experience. The food and wine pairings and the service were excellent. We’ve dined in many high end restaurants and often felt that it’s more about the chefs awards and stars than what the customer wants so the chefs table was a refreshing experience where it really was about the diner. Sad that they stopped doing it.

The update was only that Greece needs negative test 24hour before embarkation. Elsewhere in Europe still need Negative tests 3days before embarkation. Considering that everyone gets off and does excursions in every port it seems daft really. Unless they test every day they’ve got no idea who has Covid, and now that UK and US doesn’t require neg test to fly back people will be getting on aircraft positive without knowing.

I think you’re right there.

Country Requirements Travel requirements may vary from country to country in Europe. Embarkation Requirements For cruises embarking in Greece, all guests ages 12 years and older must have negative NAAT (PCR) or Antigen test 24 hours prior to embarkation. If guest does not show proof of a valid test conducted within 24 hours prior to embarkation, an antigen test will be administered at the terminal covered by Norwegian. Vaccination Requirements: France: In order to be eligible to enter France as a vaccinated person for guests who received a one shot vaccine (Johnson & Johnson), at least four weeks must have passed after the shot. All guests age 12 and over must present proof of full vaccination against COVID-19. EU Healthy Gateways currently defines individuals as "Fully Vaccinated" against COVID-19 if they carry proof of vaccination with at least 14 days and no more than 270 days passed since the last dose of the primary vaccination series or if they have received a third or booster dose. To clarify, guests that have received a booster dose can travel regardless of the amount of time that has passed since their booster dose. Booster requirements vary by country as follows: Booster Requirements: Northern Europe/Baltic Itineraries (Baltic, British Isles & Iceland) do not require a booster. Itineraries that include Italy, Spain, Greece, France, and Portugal require a booster, for all individuals 18 years or older, if their original vaccine course was taken more than 270 days prior to embarkation. For itineraries which require boosters, in lieu of a booster 270 days after the primary series, guests may present a government recognized or official medical Certificate of Recovery. For European Citizens, this would include an EU Green Pass or comparable certificate. For all others unable to present an EU Green Pass (i.e. US Citizens) a doctor’s note, plus a laboratory confirmed PCR test result with the proper information (i.e. Name, Date, Date of Birth, Positive Result, etc.) will be accepted. Children and Teens between the ages of 12 and 17: Full vaccination protocol at least two weeks after receipt of the final dose of Pfizer-BioNTech or any WHO approved vaccine. Children under the age of 12 are not required to show proof of vaccination. Guests who cannot meet the above requirements should not travel to the ship as they will be unable to board. Face Coverings: Effective on 5/7/22 and beyond masks are optional on all sailings, unless visiting ports in Greece or Italy. In these ports, masks are required while indoors. Italian ports specifically require KN95/FFP2 type masks. Adhere to local regulations when visiting ports. Effective 6/12/22, guests will no longer be required to show proof of negative Covid test to return to the United States. In order to best comply with local regulations, all guests who require proof of a negative COVID-19 test in order to return to their home country, will now have the following options: Purchase an easy-to-use telemedicine kit onboard (subject to availability) Visit a local clinic For an easy-to-use online tool for locating COVID-19 testing providers around the world, please visit www.TestForTravel.com. MALTA FORMS Going Ashore: All Guests who do not hold an EU-COVID certificate and intending to go ashore will need to use VeriFLY. After creating a secure profile on their mobile device, passengers will upload vaccine information and other documentation as required directly into the VeriFLY app. Under the "Add other" section, select "Malta arrivals". Once the information is completed and vaccine picture is uploaded, you have successfully submitted for review. The VeriFLY app will verify that the passenger's information matches the requirements set by Malta and displays a simple pass or fail message. Following that, the passenger will be guided to fill in the Passenger Locator Form for entry into Malta. The VeriFLY app is available on Google Play and on the Apple App Store, and users shall be able to activate their “Trip to Malta” pass, which encapsulates the requirements for entry into Malta. It is highly recommended that guests download the app and complete the required information prior to embarkation. The above will not be required for guests opting to remain onboard the ship and not proceed ashore.

NCL sail safe info has been updated today. In Europe only cruises from Greece requiring negative test before embarkation.

All vaccinated guests, regardless of age, must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 antigen or NAAT test (i.e., PCR) taken within 2 days of the embarkation date for cruises originating in a U.S. or Canadian port and within 3 days of the embarkation date for cruises originating from a non-U.S./Canadian port. • All unvaccinated guests ages 2 through 11 will be required to bring proof of a negative NAAT test (i.e., PCR) result administered by a verified third party within 3 days of the embarkation date. I read the above as vaccinated guests just need proof of negative test, and unvaccinated guests ages 2-11 need verified by third party test. I plan on doing one where you send a photo of negative test and they email you a certificate. That’s what I did in September last year.