smilin64

I do not plan to cancel unless for medical for self or in case of a death of a family.

Usually these are covered reasons not ‘any reason’ but for $55 I would definitely take it!

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Check your credit cards. I have a Citibank card we never use and i found out it covers 3k per person and the qualifying events that are covered are pretty extensive.

Also note that credit card insurance is generally only in effect if at least part of the trip was charged to that card and you mentioned you never use it.

Hold on there sidewinder, the manifest is submitted 1 hour prior to departure. That is why they insist you be aboard one hour before sailing.

I was of the understanding the passenger list had to be provided to Homeland Security 48 hours before sailing so no one can be added after this time. I believe it would be easy enough to remove no shows from the final manifest at the two hour final boarding call...

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Is this promotion or a version of it usually available on all itineraries?

No. On select itineraries you will see a special yellow symbol denoting Distinctive Voyages. I believe there is a way to pull up those with this benefit when doing a cruise search of specials on the NCL website. Our October Med cruise has it as does our Jan 2020 southern Caribbean on the Epic.

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Thank you! I've been trying to find that Terms & Conditions pages for awhile and I've had no luck! I'm debating seeing if I can upgrade to more than 3 meals if the price is right because Hubby and I are really excited for specialty dining.

Don't discount the wonderful meals in the dining room and other venues. We had the specialty dining pkg for the first time on our last cruise and really did enjoy it however the meals in the dining room are almost as good and the menu changes daily except for a handful of dishes that are offered every day.

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We did a large balcony on the Getaway as our splurge given we were sharing the one cabin with my two teen sons. It was great as we had two chairs as well as two loungers so there was plenty of room for all four of us at once. The double sinks in the bathroom were great for space but we were never two in there at once anyway :) I believe we had an upgraded shower as well with extra jets.

We really didn't mind that those above could see the open part of the balcony; allows you to catch a lot of sunshine.

Only downside was these cabins are quite far forward but it was great being on the deck with the promenade.

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We have generally booked a balcony and found that the room darkening curtains work very well so sleeping isn't an issue. It was also great to enjoy the room and the view when having down time. Met friends on last week's Panama Canal cruise who had an inside and couldn't get over how cramped it was! We struggled a bit with space in an ocean view in the fall but of course you manage. That said we have booked the Bliss for Alaska in September 2019 and cannot justify the huge price jump to even an ocean view so we are going to try an inside for the first time! Some say we will regret not having a balcony for an Alaskan cruise but we will fully take advantage of the new observation deck and put the difference towards our southern Caribbean in January 2020:)

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Try posting on one or more of the NCL fan Facebook pages. There is one for the megaships that includes the Epic as well as more generic pages.

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The NCL excursion description mentioned quite a few photo opportunity stops on the Chiva Bus Tour but we only made two stops. So yes, I was disappointed in the tour. The party on the bus was custom made for anyone who enjoys drinking, music, and singing. I have to wonder if the reason we made so few stops was because some passengers had real difficulty getting back on the bus.

 

 

 

Yes, my sister and her husband could use the their balcony at night but no light on the balcony so the drapes on their window had to be closed at night. That didn't seem to bother them and they used it quite a bit at night.

 

 

 

Food is a very subjective topic but the four of us all felt the food in the Ginza was excellent.

 

 

 

Here are the only two pictures I have of our balcony.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you have a great time and great weather for your cruise.

Thank you so much for your responses. I really appreciate the follow-up[emoji4]

What a great review / overview of your cruise! Thank you for taking the time to go through each day and include photos. We are on the next sailing from Miami in less than two weeks now and can't wait. We've been in a deep freeze here in mid Canada for weeks now.

Curious about the Chiva party bus and if you felt you got a good tour and not just a good time lol We've hit a small van tour booked privately (Dora) with other cc members but like this party bus idea. I looked all over and it is only available in the afternoon unless you book it directly with the cruise line.

Also I think earlier on in your review you mentioned that the service in the Ginza wasn't really good?… How was the food?

Do you have any pictures of your balcony? We're on deck 9 midship balcony and have placed upgrade offers for a couple of penthouse suites but doubt that we will get one.

Also curious about your brother-in-law's forward penthouse. Would you know if you are not allowed to use it or just not have the light on at night because it interferes with the captain's bridge?

Thanks for any assistance you can provide. Again great review and wishing you an awesome trip on the Jade.

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You can also just check out a cruise (travel) website that features all of the major cruise lines and enter your dates and destinations preferences in your search criteria. I actually am looking at the exact same cruise and NCL has a couple of options (they are my preferred cruise line) as do a couple of he higher end lines.

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Yes we do it all the time. We actually take cash out at the casino (for a 3% fee but it still works out cheaper than current exchange rates) to use for our port spending. There is a limit to how much you can buy per cabin. The last night guest services will pay you out the balance in cash if it is less than $50 - or something small like that. Otherwise NCL will send you a cheque within about 6 weeks.

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In Canada, Pepsi's version is Diet 7up (Sprite is Coke). I think I recall seeing that Diet Sierra Mist at a few bars.

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Never had a problem finding an open bar on a Norwegian ship :)

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Hmmmm... we sailed Carnival in September and the lower max value was what I remember coming across. We didn't buy Cheers however so good to know for the future.

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Wow! Well that is VERY new. Top shelf scotch I would bet :)

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I think NCL has the highest drink value included at anything $15 or less, or pay the difference. I think Carnival is a lot lower. Specifics would be on their website.

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Thanks for the quick replies. .... We figure if we buy the drink package we'd have to drink an average of about 11 alcoholic drinks per day everyday between the two of us to break even. I don't think I could drink 5-6 drinks per day everyday, especially the days we are at port. I'll probably drink a glass or two of wine with dinner and a couple beers during the day. It's probably best for us to pay per drink unless anyone else has a different opinion. I know it's a gamble.

 

ETA...did I read correctly that we can bring 2 bottles of wine per room on boarding day?

Not sure I would agree. Just think about it: a couple beers in the afternoon, a cocktail and a glass of wine with dinner, maybe a nightcap in a lounge and you're already at 5 drinks! Throw in a mimosa a couple of mornings and maybe a couple of evenings where you have a few and you have made your minimum quota. Personally I think the freedom of not worrying about counting, plus enjoying trying new drinks or wines is worth the price. And remember you get all the NA options as well.

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Wow! Our teen boys were able to cruise at the half price rate on the Getaway at New Year's Eve last year. Maybe because it was out of Miami.

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If you check out the cruise listings on the NCL website there will be coloured icons next to the date/stateroom type that will indicate if this is available. From my experience, you definitely won't find any third and fourth passengers free at Christmas, but they are at a discounted price (about 1/2).

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Our ship only arrives @ 3 pm. I would think we only have time for 1 fort before it gets dark. Should we do San Cristobal? We would like to spend some time strolling Old San Juan while we can still see!

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We are doing it in a couple of weeks but as part of a full tour of the island. Don't think you need to dedicate your whole excursion to this one activity - lots to see! (We're doing Cosol tours.)

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