wilmingtech

I'll pick up the drama from here while @Stealthdogenjoys his dinner at Bayamo.  It's now 6:30.  Still waiting on cruisers but they are now pulling up the 1st of 3 gangway.

Yesterday in DR there were 19 people who got left behind.  (Unofficial count)

Tonight getting left behind isn't a big deal as a ferry ride gets you over to Tortola.    

11 hours ago, Stealthdog said:

Last Day 2 post - Meet and Mingle.  Special thanks to @GuelphCruisers for organizing it.  The meet and mingle was the best organized and attended I’ve seen on a cruise in the last 5 years!  We had the district brewhouse completely reserved, many of the ship management were there, and it was a great opportunity to meet fellow cruise critic people and put faces to usernames.  If you have an opportunity to attend yours, do it!

I just want to comment that @GuelphCruisers did a great job.  It was a good group of people at the

Is M&M and I really enjoyed talking with everyone.  @BigAl had a bunch of great insight from many cruiselines.  I learned quite a bit and appreciate all that was shared.

Just now, Stealthdog said:

I’m was so ready!  Just checked the daily and saw that 630 time. We have Ocean Blue reservations so I will be missing the potential fun tonight. 😂

Bayamo!   Haha.  Anywho....   we will be there 2 hours behind you.  Don't eat all the good appetizers.  Leave some for us!

2 minutes ago, Stealthdog said:

It’s 1 minute past all aboard and lots of people strolling towards the ship.  Come on runners!!!!

@Stealthdog All aboard is 6:30 for passengers and 5:30 for crew.  It was 5:35 when I typed this 😀

So still got a ways to go 😉

4 hours ago, cat shepard said:

 

Did you happen to notice any rowing machines?

There are 2 rowing machines.  To the left of the 3 stationary bikes in the first picture.  Both are in good working shape.  My wife and daughter used them last night.

It's 5:16, Allaboard was 4:30.  We are waiting for 48 more passengers

Backing into port

And we are off!  Like a herd of Cruise Ships!

I'm interested to see if charges automatically come out of the non refundable OBC first or if it's random or if they take it out of the refundable OBC first.

We have a mix of OBC and honest none of it makes sense except for the shareholder OBC.  Our TA gave us 150 when we contracted with them and we were supposed to get another 50 from NCL (200 total plus 100 shareholder) but after Final Payment we had 250 from NCL.  So it'll be interesting to see if that is some of what our TA gave us or if we get more from the TA after we board.

We are on a plane now headed to Orlando.  We will see you at the M&M on Sunday.

Thanks for posting this.

How many people were in the excursion?

Did the boat feel crowded?

On 8/14/2023 at 3:16 PM, Maplemoose said:

I have checked in to my cruise on the first day in order to get an early arrival time but was unable to get security photos loaded. This can be finished at the pier but will I lose my early arrival time if that step is not completed?

@Maplemoose   I'll help you with the problem instead of trying to solve for the outcome.

When I did the family photo's I used a camera to take the picture then emailed them to myself.  When I went to do mine I couldn't find a good headshot I liked so I took one on my phone and uploaded it.  For some reason my photo wouldn't upload.  I forget the exact error but the photo was within the required pixel size requested on the NCL website.  After a couple of tries I figured out that it was the size of the picture in Megabytes that was too large.  So I emailed the picture to myself (Outlook  asked if I wanted to reduce the file size when I emailed the picture) and then I was able to upload it.  I think the original file size of the picture was something like 3 or 4 MB but the reduced file size was 550kb or something like that.

It was not an obvious thing to figure out and I only figured it out by trying a few things (Backgrounds, Colors, Piel Size...etc)  and finally looked at the file size of the file and reducing that was what worked.   Hopefully this is the issue you are having.

Good luck!

Looking forward to joining you on the first leg of your cruise!   Its going to be a great time on the Escape and heading to the Caribbean for some warm weather is something we are really looking forward to.  

It'll be great to follow along and see how our experiences compare on the same cruise.

1 minute ago, Laszlo said:

Yea, I've tried them a few times and they were always pretty bad. The best biscuits and gravy I have every had was at Biscuits and Porn in Nags Head. They are so good by 7am the line will be 50 people deep and it will be like that until they run out

 

https://www.biscuitsnporn.net

Hmmm....   Im at work....   do I click the link?  🤣

1 minute ago, FLAHAM said:

I’d rather eat every meal in the buffet than be the sixth adult in a 2 bedroom suite.  The latter are meant for 2 parents and 2 kids.

This is true.  We have done it with our family of 4 kids.  And it was tight.  With 6 adults it would be really uncomfortable especially because the 2nd bedroom is more like a "closet".  Great for kids, adults not so much.

1 hour ago, big al said:

Hi all- we are going on the Escape this Saturday, the 9th...we have a club balcony..2 questions here: ..1) Do you need an expired card/ old store card for the A/C to work? Or does the cabin steward provide one?..and 2) Is there shampoo & conditioner in the showers. or maybe just one of these? Thanks!!

@big al we have always grabbed an empty gift card from the Starbucks on our way to the port in the AM.  Those work well.  

29 minutes ago, D_And_K_gocruising said:

On the escape right now and had biscuits and gravy at buffet.  Is that what people think biscuits are supposed to taste like?  Man I’ve never had biscuits that tasted that….. sour in my life.  Maybe I’ve only ever had “fake” ones but if this is what real ones are supposed to taste like.   Blech, guess more for everyone else.. 

Welcome to cruise food haha!

Round and round the cruise food wheel goes, where it stops, nobody knows!

Typically on large cruise lines, the cooks are Phillipino or Indian or Asian.  They probably never heard of biscuits and gravy before they started working on a ship.  So they follow the recipie and they have no idea what it's supposed to taste like.  Usually the curries and masalas on the buffet are really good though.

Hope you guys are having a great time!

Don't forget about your requirement to report back on Hash Brown sightings!

And keep the ship clean for us!   We will be getting on as you all are getting off!!

9 hours ago, AntiGameZ said:

haha, they are in their late 60s and sleep separately at home. Mom found out it will be an issue until yesterday because now they are at a hotel and stay at one room. 

He doesn't have one, probably it is already too late to see doctor and get a CPAP. 

 

 

Most likely I will book a room under my name and remove me out of the Haven group. 

So here is one option no one mentioned.  Do you have a 7th person who wants a free cruise and is willing to sleep in a room with your father?  Like another uncle or sibling.... ect.  You could book that person in a room and your dad could use the extra bed.  But still keep his Haven Key.

And snoring is definitely something your dad should get looked at .  If he gets a CPAP it'll add years to his life.  Get one on Craigslist if you don't have time to see a doctor and see the doctor after your trip. 

On 11/2/2023 at 11:01 AM, sebastienbo said:

For those unfamiliar with the concept:

 

If you purchase 100 shares of NCL, you will receive either $100 or $250 onboard credit for every cruise you take.

 

To provide further information, you can visit this website:

https://www.nclhltd.com/investors/shareholder-benefits

 

Previously, the cost of 100 shares was quite high at $60 per share, totaling $6000.

However, due to the impact of COVID-19, the share price has dropped significantly to $13 per share, amounting to $1300 for 100 shares.

 

This decline in price can be attributed to the lack of income over the past two years and the substantial expenses incurred.

However, based on their projections for 2022 and 2023, NCL is expected to perform exceptionally well.

This quarter marks the final payment for their new ships, indicating that from January onwards, the stock will likely experience a significant increase as their income has consistently grown by 56% each year.

 

Considering these factors, it is reasonable to anticipate that the stock will rebound to $60 per share within two years. 

Just imagine if you were to invest $10,000 at the current low rate and sell it at $60 per share.

You would stand to make $45,000 in just two years.

 

To help you make an informed decision about purchasing stocks, you can refer to their report from November 1st:

https://www.earningswhispers.com/epsdetails/nclh

 

Regardless of the stock's performance, one enticing aspect is that shareholders receive this onboard credit bonus every time they go on a cruise.

 

 

I just wanted to say thanks for posting this.  We have a cruise leaving Orlando on the 9th of Dec and after running across this thread I bought in at ~14/share and quickly printed the shareholder request form and downloaded the trade confirmation 14 days before we were to sail (I just purchased the stock and my monthly brokerage statement showing the purchase wouldn't be available for a couple more weeks so I figured I would try sending in the trade confirmation).  This past Friday, 8 days before sailing we had (2) more 50$ OBC sitting in our account. And the stock is up over 16 now.  So 300$ for the win.  Sell!!!   Sell!!!

Reading through this thread feels alot like talking to NCL customer support.

If the OP pays 

XXXX + GGGratuities for FAS

Upgrades the XXXX part by paying YYYY

What happens to the gratuities he initially payed for XXXX?  

15 minutes ago, MartaMartian said:

Funny cause people say NCL nickels and dimes but I’m finding it more from RC, and I haven’t even boarded yet!

 

I think all the lines come up with creative ways to vaccuum out your pockets.  Some you pay for it up front and others out back.  Regardless with either line you can have a great cruise and not spend a dollar more than the base fare, taxes and gratuities.

If you have only sailed NCL Sky then you are in for quite a treat on a Quantum Class ship.

We have only done Royal and NCL.  We don't drink much so the draw for the drink packages on an NCL cruise doesn't really factor in for us.  On our next NCL sailing (This coming Saturday on the Escape) we actually decided we didn't need the drink package for both of us so we saved $313.  We will have a drink here or there but maybe 10 drinks the whole cruise 

That being said, the specialty restaurants are certainly more plentiful on NCL but I feel that Royal has more "free" options on thier ships.  I think in the MDR it's been hit or miss on both lines.  And while Royal has fewer options for specialty restaurants some of the best meals we have had at sea have been at Chops and Sabor and those do come at a price.  We do find that food can be super inconsistent on Cruise ships (Weve had amazing experiences at Moderno and one of our worst meals ever at Moderno) so YMMV as far as the food goes.

As far as "my time dining" on Royal we have found that to be early or late there is always a wait.  So we try to do traditional dining and if the timing is off based on port times or ship schedules we either hit the buffet or wait in the my time dining line (which can sometimes be long)

As far as the ships go, Royal ships have always appealed more to us.  We love the large Esplanades and open air feel of the public spaces.  The atrium on the NCL ships always feels crowded and the low cielings make you feel enclosed.

I think understanding the nuances of each line and using them to your advantage can really make both lines enjoyable. 

PS - Quantum class on Royal is our favorite class as well.  That'll be awesome in Alaska.

14 hours ago, CAKEisgood said:

Finally, last post for the evening. Almost sunset pic 

I miss these sunsets.  8 days to go and I can hardly stand it.

Thanks for posting this.  My Wife and I are on our 25th Anniversary Cruise on this same ship/itin in August of next year.

6 minutes ago, RD64 said:

@wilmingtech but sometimes life, weather, war happens.

 

I was supposed to go on a TA from Lisbon to NYC a few weeks ago but had to cancel ( not the point). Two of four ports were cancelled ( Horta and Ponta Delgada) due to weather. It is the same situation - people claiming that it is not the cruise that they were sold and demanding every form of compensation possible because this is not the cruise they were booked. To complicate matters, you get the random person that “claims” they got all of their money back plus a new kidney, and it sends people in an uproar demanding the same thing.

 

Going back to 2019 - same thing. Transat Lisbon to Boston (13 days) - port call at St. Pierre et Miquelon cancelled due to whatever hurricane was going through that September. Ship full of people playing the”Woe is Me” and “The Only Reason I Booked This 13 Day Cruise Was To Go To SPM” game. The only thing we got back was port charges - I did not expect or want anything more, even though I truly wanted to go to SPM.

 

As has been stated numerous times, in numerous posts, on numerous boards - never book a cruise if the only reason you are doing so is to go to a specific port, because stuff happens, and you should not expect any compensation, if things do not go as planned, due to no fault of the cruise Iine.

My argument has nothing to do with the fact that ports were canceled and the cruise was changed. While it would be a letdown for me, I wouldn't care one bit if I got any refund at all.  My argument is rather that if you had the same exact cruise and experience with 2 different cruise lines for the same exact price and they both canceled the same ports and one offered FCC or OBC or some kind of compensation and the other offered nothing, if all is the same between the 2 lines and ships, which one do you choose to book your next cruise with?

Seeing as this was a Mediterranean cruise and probably had a larger European audience, the cruise contracts for Europeans and other countries may be different than what we have here in the US/NA.  The European contracts may state that if the trip changes the itinerary enough then it must refund a portion of, or all of the cruise costs whereas in the US/NA it may state regardless of where the ship goes (Even if it never hits a port at all) if the ship leaves the dock you pay for the cruise.

This may be why there is confusion on the refunds.  Europeans by law may have had received credit for the change of itinerary and crew may have said as much without clearly identifying these differences.  I am certain that with the huge losses cruise companies have suffered over the last few years, giving back money is not at the forefront of their "how do we increase the profit" agenda.

All that being said, I would just stop sailing Celebrity (I have not sailed them in the past and only have a single cruise booked with them in 2025) if the product they delivered (Including customer service) could be found else where for a better ROI.  It seems like a small gesture of a little FCC would go a long way to retain customer loyalty,

And I think that is the point that @YukonCanadianCruiser was trying to make and @ohiojohn executed on.