G-DawgMN

Last week on the Epic the port fee refund was automatic and was refundable obc.

What port taxes were you having an issue with (since this is a thread on that). I recommend a good travel agent, they can do all the work for you so you don't have to spend time on the phone dealing with any issues. All cruise lines have huge hold times these days and most front line support just reads from a script so aren't the most useful.

Port fees are always estimate, NCL has no way to know for sure what the actual cost is until the ship sales (it's based on passenger count etc). NCL doesn't charge you more if they underestimated the costs, but I was just on the Epic and NCL gave a $13 refund for port fees to everyone once we were on the ship. We didn't miss a port, they just overcharged. Maybe try to keep a positive outlook and hope that NCL has positive intent and will do the right thing when you go on your cruise.

We just got off the Epic and it was fully booked (4400 people). I was honestly surprised at how well the flow of crowds were. Elevators were never an issue except on disembarkation day (full of people with luggage). The main bars and atrium were typically busy. We had a great time at the aft bar between Cagney's and Moderno, there were rarely more than a few people there and the bartenders were great. Spice H20 was very quiet after dark, it was a great place to get a drink and watch the stars, the downside is that the bar half of the deck is a smoking area, so you would want to sit on the other side.

Epic does have Posh which is similar. But it's very hard to get a spot since the Haven guests also have access. I was able to get a spot years ago, but we were literally the first people on and people were running to guest services.

You can only upgrade if the better cabin is at least .01 more than what you paid

It wasn't happening on the Epic last week. The only perk they offered was a wine tasting. The only time we've done dinner with the officer was on the Pearl a few years ago, where anyone could sign up. It was an amazing dinner at Lebistro with the General Manager and the F&B Manager. There was only one other couple so we were able to get a lot of information from the officers.

Which is why I said I was joking.

I’m joking but… This is all we received for our anniversary package. Wrong event on the cake and zero decorations.

We stopped there for lunch today (really good). When we asked about the luggage drop off and they said they did do it. They told us to ask for Fred.

This is how it looks now. (1:21). Seems like it would be a short wait to get on. We board next week and are leaning towards a little later arrival time vs. early.

Be aware that they aren’t opening the building until 11 or a little later. On another site there was a picture of a line of people already lined up outside at 9 am.

Remember that Pan American Pier is across the bay from downtown. The first check-ins aren't going to be until 11AM. Traffic to and from the port looks to be atrocious, people are saying that they're waiting 30-60+ minutes to get to the port. I suggest watching the NCL Epic webcam when it's in port this weekend and see what you think.

You probably can move as long as you’re over 2 weeks out, which you are. I’d just be persistent and maybe call multiple times until you get the answer you want.

Did you have a guarantee cabin or upgrade? If so you’re probably stuck. You might be able to move rooms if you pay to upgrade to a higher category, as long as it costs more than a dollar more than what you paid, unless you have the airfare promo.

I understand. Part of the issue seems to be that check in doesn’t open until 11 but people line up before that. But also that road seems to be a huge traffic bottleneck.

If you’re not in a rush going later should less wait. This is the traffic at 1:38

+20% for your convenience.

This is correct, when you arrive at the restaurant tell them if you want to use your coupon, FAS, or pay outright.

We have done it flying from Minneapolis to LA for a cruise. We did a 1 day deviation and had great direct flights to/from. We are trying it again next year when we go out of New Orleans. The cost savings were significant enough to make losing control of our travel plans worthwhile. Be sure to read through NCL terms below so you know what to expect (like a redeye coming home): For Domestic flights, Norwegian Cruise Line will book guests' airfare with a maximum of one connection when possible; air schedules permitting.For International flights, Norwegian Cruise Line will book guests' airfare with a maximum of two connections when possible; air schedules permitting.If flying from the West Coast to the East Coast of the U.S., we reserve an overnight flight allowing you plenty of time to get to your destination city.For cruises concluding on the East Coast of the US, you may be reserved on a flight that departs up to 10:30 p.m. depending on available inventory and to offer the best schedule.For cruises concluding on the West Coast of the U.S. with guests returning home to a city located on the East Coast or central U.S., you may be reserved on a flight that departs up to 11:59 p.m. depending on available inventory.Guests embarking or disembarking in PortMiami may be reserved on flights arriving or departing at Miami International Airport (MIA) or Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL).Ground transportation is available at the same cost for both airports.Guests embarking or disembarking in Manhattan Cruise Terminal (New York City) may be reserved on flights arriving or departing at LaGuardia Airport (LGA), Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) or John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). Ground transportation is available at the same cost for the three airports.Guests embarking or disembarking in Quebec City may be reserved on flights arriving or departing from Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL) to ensure the most convenient schedule.Norwegian Cruise Line reserves the right to choose the air carrier, routing, and city airport from each gateway city and reserves the right to substitute commuter service and/or charter air service for scheduled air carriers without prior notice.

NCL hasn’t done free lobster for years. They will have a prime rib night if that’s your thing.

For our cruise in a couple weeks the earliest check in time is 11am. I’m guessing this terminal doesn’t open earlier like a lot of other ports with really causes the line to get long.

I really enjoy watching the people walk out because they didn’t look at the description or listen to the multiple announcements about the content of the show.

Is there a sidewalk on that road to the pier? I was looking at Google maps and it looks like just a 2 lane road. Thank you.

Could you post back on your check-in/boarding experience? We're on the week after you. Thank you!