BirdTravels

Dining reservations open exactly 120 days prior to departure at 12 midnight eastern time (125 if you are in a club balcony or 130 if you are in a suite). Book dinners exactly 120 days out at midnight for the best selection. Online check in opens 21 days prior to departure at 12 midnight eastern time. Checkin at midnight for best port arrival times. Nevrr bring a surge protector onto a ship. Ships are wired differently than home and a surge protector could cause a fire.

If you have not gambled on an NCL ship since FDR took over NCLH, you are likely not rated any longer. Rather than asking random strangers, call and ask if gage will offer you anything. I am not aware that FDR changed the casino program. Maybe you gambled less and got offered less. Harry is slashing all departments, including the casino, to help make the cruise line more profitable.

Yes. I see that the sky is falling. Based on that, I suggest you request to be disembarked at your net port of call. That will end your situation. A room steward making a mistake does not conclude that there are staffing issues. It is a mistake. The mainstream media always spins minor issues to headline news.

Last year, I booked on the week of cruise and within 2 hours of booking, I got an upgrade email.

It is not discretionary. People eligible to bid are offered the chance to bid. It’s not like they are picking and choosing. There is. I business case not to maximize the number of bids. There are some special rates that are not eligible. And there are some travel agents that use special rates that do not participate in the Upgrade Advantage.

Use the link if you have been invited to bid. That is normally about 100 days to departure. If your cruise is well in the future or your travel agent does not support upgrade bids, you will not be allowed to bid.

Yes.

You need to differentiate between authorizations and actual charges (which you will not see for several days). Throughout the cruise, NCL will run authorizations to ensure that you can pay your bill. In several days, you will see the actual charge posted. Normally on the afternoon of disembarkation, you will get a final bill in email, so long as you requested it. wrt authorizations, your bank, not NCL determines how long they tie up your credit. Usually hang around about a week for us.

So,,, the charge fee can be claimed on your insurance. If you are not insured, a calm, pleasant letter to NCL may get you reimbursement. NCL has provided us compensation above what the offered several times. But we have asked nicely, not flaming and demanding stuff.

Seems like very very very very very minor issues. But it is your right to make it a big deal.. Better taken up with your room steward.

Port 1 sounded kinda like normally tendering operations. Secure the life boats while hiring a larger local tender take care of the rush of those who wait until the last minute. Unless we are on a shore ex, we try to avoid the last minute rush. Port 2, won’t okay 20-questions with you. It’s the ship’s decision based on dock facilities. Again, there are always people in a rush to get off and those who wait until the last minute to return. You don’t necessarily optimize for those conditions.

We had the lobster at Ocean Blue (with claws). What a nightmare. The claws were not pre-cracked or scored. Just doing battle with the lobster at the dinner table. And not worth the effort.

Yes. Once you pay for a Haven room, you will get offers based on your booked class. There are over 1000 cabins that could bid on the 90ish Haven rooms, so the probability of winning a bid are very very very low. If you want a Haven room and the price difference is tolerable, pay for the Haven room. You’re paying retail. It is not an “upgrade”.

They Joy has way too many Haven rooms for the facility since they reclassified the regular suites to Haven.

It is an indication of a restricted room.

I have done zoom calls onboard. Reception in most rooms is very good. The whole ship runs on Wi-Fi (all of the crew handi phones). It has nothing, zero, nil to do with being near the Internet cafe.

NCL used to trot out the Captain one night for a few minutes. I have not seen that since the pandemic. The Captain continues to attend events like the VIP party in the Haven where he is available for photos. There are no formal nights on NCL. NCL embraces Freestyle cruising where shorts are allowed in all restaurants for all meals except Le Bistro and Ocean Blue (on large ships) or Le Bistro and the aft main dining room on small ships where gents are asked to wear long pants (jeans or dockers are fine) Photographers are available every night at multiple locations on the ship to take those semi-formal pictures if you get dressed up.

NCL is doing tasting events again. The exact events are dependent upon ship and sailing. These are only examples from our May cruise. There were different events on our April cruise.

Cartons onboard sell for $47-$57 each. Now,,. You also should consider the customs limits and know what happens if you get caught with excess.

So like the NY diner example above, a crew member really wants to get more than their contract amount. When people stiff them by removing DSC, they won’t get anything more than their contract. Remembering that they work 10 hours a day, often split shifts (working in a restaurant until 11 at night, the being up to bus tables in the buffet at 6 am), 7 days a week.

They spent $50 to remove cabins to create the observation lounge. They probably removed 24 cabins and the concierge lounge to build the OL. And replace the tea rooms and even replace the seafood buffet. The ship was certainly designed for more cabins.

100% you’re subsidizing wages just like at home. Do you realize that in New York the minimum wage is $15/hour. But if you work in a tipped job, your employer can pay as little as $4.75/hour??? And that the first $10 per hour in tips go to getting you up to minimum wage? Just minimum wage. Which is hard when customers leave a buck for a $20 breakfast. It also goes to pay for the beer and wine at monthly crew parties in the crew bar. And bikes to ride around port cities in. And OBC for hero awards selected for recognitions. Or specialty dinners. And of course, gratuities to the crew.

Yes. I would tip for every drink. Waiters a buck a drink. Bartenders from $1-$5 per service. We are creatures of habit and by Day 2, our drinks are being made, with a nod of the head, before we get to the bar.

No refunds. At one point, the lifeguards told us that there will be a big downpour for about 15 min with lightning and suggest we move from our loungers and umbrella to the restaurant.

The benefit is “casinos st sea embarkation”. Which gives you a specific line to stand in for check in. The only port that used to give priority boarding was New York. And you no longer see the casino waiting area in New York.