krufrank

Amen and amen!

I was not bashing nor condemning NCL in the least. Not sure why you would take it that way. Again, all my info I got from our NCL CP. YOU were the harsh one. Also, can't bring on a fan with a cord - no matter the size of said fan - which is what we have. But again, just double checking with folks out here - many who gave salient and reserved answers.

I really like Cruise Critic Boards but sometimes those who wish to “share” do so in such a condemning and harsh way it kinda ruins it. If you cared to read all my posts you will see where I got my info from. Our NCL CP could be wrong on a number of things - I dunno. That’s why I was asking. You are defending NCL so steadfastly in your response you make it seem like I was attacking them when clearly I wasn’t. By the way, we were in AK 4 months ago with Princess and I compared prices again this month between the same excursions - 2 to 3 times higher with NCL. Have a great night. We are going to experience a new cruise line tomorrow and going to enjoy it I am sure. Thanks to the rest who were patient and civil in your responses. YOU folks are what makes Cruise Critics a fun place to hang out at.

Our fan is plug in.

Filled in form online 3 months ago. Got confirmation of receipt - they will get back to us. Two weeks ago called our CP and they said we had to bring our own. Same CP said no food or liquids allowed to be brought aboard (except wine). Directed me to online page. Not saying you are wrong, just telling you what we were told by NCL CP. Being brand new to this line we have nothing else to go from officially.

As I said, I may be wrong which is why we are interested in trying NCL. That said, they are the only major cruise line that does NOT let you bring water on board or any food (favourite snacks?). That’s pretty stringent. Their excursions, at least in Alaska, are double the price (3 times more expensive in some cases) than say Princess (which we’ve done 3 times). I am using and independent excursion company. I also found their upgrades on drink package and internet to be super pricy - again compared to the other lines we’ve travelled with. I was also told by our CP that we could NOT bring a small portable fan on board (this could prove to be false) and directed me to webpage which backed this up. Other lines you can. My wife has a C-Pap machine that needs distilled water. We made a request for some to be in our room and was told we had to bring it ourself. Not so with other lines. So I hope you can see how NCL appears more stringent from the outside looking in. That said, we are excited about Free Style Dining and having more food options open to us. We have also heard from many sources the entertainment on board is far superior than other lines. We are Princess Elite but NCL Prospects. LOL. Can’t wait to see how it all plays out.

To summarize responses: Regular ship coffee is free at all venues. My wife can get juices, milk and glasses of water gratis in MD + Buffett. I can upgrade Internet package once on board. I had opportunity through the app but it has since disappeared - likely due to being too close to sailing. I do not need to tip beyond the $760 prepaid gratuities (2 week trip for 2 people) unless we want to. Thanks for your responses. Two more questions if I may: 1. I know in the specialty restaurants you get ONE selection per food category BUT in MD is it the same as other lines - free to choose multiple apps, mains and desserts in one sitting? 2. I did make daily reservations in MD but if we choose to go elsewhere to eat some nights I am assuming we can abandon those reservations for that night? I ask these questions as it appears to me, I could be wrong though, that NCL is far more stringent with its policies and procedures.

LOL. Too funny!!

Typo. LOL i think I was asking “what” beverages are included free at restaurants and buffets 😉

Long time cruiser. First time NCL. 1. Does coffee come “free” with breakfasts in dining rooms/O’Sheehan’s? 2. Shat beverages come “free” in dining rooms/buffets with lunch/supper? 3. I prepaid gratuities. Do I need to expect to pay other gratuities (over and above prepaid ones) that are mandatory (not at our discretion for great service). 4. Can I upgrade internet package once on board? We set sail tomorrow (Monday).

Here is the end of this story. They had a balcony room come available and offered it to us on Day 3. At that point, we thanked them but said we didn’t want to repack and move. 1. Being on the Lido deck at the front of ship was great for us. Might not be for all, for us very nice. 2. The balcony was covered and protected us from the elements and provided much shade. We liked that. 3. They confirmed it WAS partially obstructed due to being metal and not plexiglass siding. That said, we could see, barely, over the railing and see water. They gave us $300 additional OBC for our troubles. We were never going to let it ruin our vacation and Princess did a good job at remedying the situation. We had a wonderful cruise.

I appreciate the words. The deck plans Do Not list is as obstructed - which is where the argument comes in. But we will survive and hope they do us right by it.

The website. When we brought it to front desk attention they said our room wasn’t obstructed. I showed them the pictures. They sighed and said if it weren’t a sold out cruise they would move us. I reminded them we paid for unobstructed so would we get some onboard credit? Their reply was they would have to get back to us. It’s 1st day at sea and still haven’t heard anything yet. We will see.

Computer glitch. Baggage handlers were the first to confirm. We got the room we were assigned - which was suppose to be an “uninstructed balcony” which it clearly isn’t. But all is good. A bad day cruising is still better than a good day working.

Did that but still the same. Weird. Like everyone is saying, probably glitchy app BUT we do have a “terrible room” we complained about when it was assigned. We asked for balcony and they put us in one of only two balcony rooms on the ship that have a solid metal balcony siding instead of the transparent glass. So, hoping they moved us.