piper45maru

I think there has been a misunderstanding as you only board after the check-in process in the terminal is completed. Instructing you to book as soon as you board is correct, that means right after you get on the ship. :)

Gotcha! I was thinking of it as one thing, but it makes sense that it's actually two separate things (now that I've been through it!). And boarding in Rome did me no favors. When I got onboard, it was really like a day at sea rather than an embarkation day. I had been expecting a station set up to buy the bottled wine package, a station set up for specialty dining reservations (like Chef's Table), that kind of thing. But that wasn't the case. I didn't even see a station set up at check-in or onboard where they were doing the corkage fee for wine brought onboard. I got no direction once I boarded and was able to just immediately go straight to my room, which I understand also isn't the case when boarding on a regular embarkation day. So that's where a lot of my confusion came in--nothing was like what I had read or expected.

There is a dedicated restaurant reservations desk on every ship nearby the guest services and often in the buffet area too, especially on embarkation day.

Well, I somehow completely missed this! (And I thought I had looked!) Good to know for future cruises, though. Thank you!

I didn't mean to point out any errors or misunderstandings to offend you in any way but to help others in the same situation.

You didn't offend me, and I'm sorry if I came across that way. I felt confused on the ship, and then I felt confused about calling a "call center" when I really thought restaurant/dining services would be the best bet.

I'm heading on the Pearl soon, so I'm excited to see what embarkation is like on a true embarkation day. Once I have a "real" embarkation under my belt, I won't feel like such a newbie, lol! (Although I will miss being able to go straight to my room. That was nice after an overnight flight and 22 hours of travel!)

Check-in is the absolutely worst place to ask anything like that, the people in the terminal handling the check-in process are port contractor's staff and have absolutely no idea about things onboard. One can barely get the necessary things handled there, all the rest need to be done after boarding at guest services.

Thanks for the insight; I thought I was being smart in doing what experienced people here on CC had said to do--ask as soon as you board at check-in.

Also sorry to say but instead of calling the call center for restaurant reservations, I've always gotten better and more knowledgeable service with the actual reservations desk where there is usually one of the Maitre'd's serving people.

Again, once I was on board the ship, I was told to call restaurant/dining services (not visit somewhere), so I took the directions at face value. I didn't realize I was calling a "call center"; I thought I was calling restaurant/dining services directly when I chose that button on my phone.

Please excuse my naivete again, but do you know specifically where I should have visited? Each restaurant had its own reservations desk, but since this wasn't an event held in one of the restaurants, I didn't think going to any of those would help (and believe me, I did consider going to every reservation desk, lol!). I looked around for a general dining desk, but never saw one. That's why I thought calling restaurant/dining services was my best bet. I guess I could have tried guest services, but again, I hadn't seen that advised at CC, and I figured that restaurant/dining services would be more knowledgeable than guest services.

Anyway, I didn't post to rehash what I did or should have done. Just didn't want the OP to be disappointed like I was, even doing research and pursuing what CC experts and check-in staff and NCL staff had told me to do. Manage expectations, I always say! :)

Wow, how disappointing... I appreciate the heads-up. I think I'll call NCL this week to see if they're able to tell me ahead of time. Better to know up front if possible.

I hope they can!

My cruise was a little different. Because it was a Western Med itinerary, there were two embarkation points, and I got on in Rome (Civitavecchia), which wasn't the main embarkation point. I asked at check-in, and they said to contact restaurant services, since it wasn't the main embarkation point and they didn't have the ability to book me. I did that as soon as I got to my room and was told that there was nothing for the sailing, but I could try again in 4 days after the main Barcelona embarkation, and maybe there would be something then.

I called the day of the Barcelona embarkation and was told there was nothing. The first time (Rome day) I was put on hold a long time and then told someone would call me back with the answer (they did within 15 minutes). The second time (Barcelona) I was put on hold for a long time while she checked, and then I got my answer. I was never completely convinced I was being told the right thing.

Hopefully, with the BA not having different embarkation points, you can get it all taken care of at check-in. And better yet, you'll be able to get a definitive answer before you board. Again, good luck! And if you do get a seat, can you report back here so I can live vicariously through you? :p

Thanks - what did you think about it? Would you recommend it? I will be traveling solo and it sounds like a worthy splurge!

I traveled solo on the Epic recently, and I decided that the Chef's Table was going to be my onboard splurge, too! I did tons of research before boarding (cost, how to book, reviewed the menu to make sure I thought it was worth the splurge, etc.), and then there was no Chef's Table on my sailing. I really, really hope that there's a Chef's Table on your sailing and you're able to book it, but I thought I'd mention my experience so you're not as disappointed as I was if there's not one on the BA when you're on. Good luck!

It really sucks that your vacation wasn't up to par. I hope your husband will give it another chance if you're up for it! :)

All of the issues I read you having weren't actually NCL issues.

I don't know about that. The NCL staff taking the drink orders in Cagney's and then not delivering...the reason that they couldn't serve drinks may be out of their control, but I think it's on the NCL staff to keep the passengers updated. A simple, "We can't serve mixed drinks right now, but we hope to be able to by the end of your meal. Would you like a glass of beer or wine in the meantime?" said at the beginning when they placed their orders could have gone a long way. As it was, the OP and her husband waited and waited for something that they expected but wasn't ever going to come--with no explanation. That seems to be an NCL service issue to me. OP seems to have a really good attitude despite everything, and such an explanation--and the offer of an acceptable alternate--really could have made the difference in her and her husband's experience.

The large ones are still available for my cruise in November but, although I was watching for them, I never did see the small cabanas available. I thought it was strange that nobody at NCL could tell me when the cabanas would be available for sale, just that I would have to keep trying until they were (I think approximately 10 months, in this case).

I booked my upcoming Pearl cruise with about 2 months to go, and there were both small and large cabanas available on the excursions page when I did so. After about 3 weeks, they were no longer available on the page, so I assumed they sold out. I wonder if yours sold out very quickly?

Is there a bar and food at the Lagoon?

I'm going to GSC for the first time in a couple weeks, and from what research I've done, the bar and food area is only open for bigger ships, so it depends what ship you're on. I'm on the Pearl, so I'm not expecting it to be open.

Check out FreestyleNovice's pic in post 5 of the below thread:

boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2234931

Thanks, you just proved my point that NCL can get hung up on semantics too;). You asked about an upsell, and they did not bother to tell you about the free upgrade until you pressed further. I would still keep an eye on prices. Who knows, maybe you can score a cheap upsell to a suite in a few days.:)

LOL! I was typing my post as you posted yours so I didn't see your comment about semantics until after I posted, but I pretty much thought the same thing when I then read your post! My takeaway is to just keep asking in different ways. :)

Suites are currently showing as sold out on my cruise but that would be awesome to be able to score again. I'm traveling solo though. Don't know what I'd do with all that space! :)

I've been planning on calling for an upsell (or paid upgrade, if that's the technically correct term) when I got to 7 days out on my cruise. Last night (10 days out), I noticed prices had dropped considerably, so I called. At first I asked for an upsell, thinking that terminology would get me farther (i.e., I was willing to negotiate rather than just asking them to give me something). She said she had nothing available for an upsell.

I then mentioned that balconies were now cheaper than what I had paid for my inside, and I had been hoping that I might be able to get one of those somehow. She checked, saw prices had dropped, and went to check with her supervisor. She came back and said, "We can upgrade you to a mini suite guarantee." (Yes, I jumped on that!) I paid no additional cost to go from the inside to the mini suite, and it was even a higher category than I had first mentioned.

Anyway, upsell or upgrade or whatever you want to call it, I was glad I took the chance and called! Anyway, hope my story helps--asking for an upsell got me nowhere but essentially asking for an upgrade without using that term got me an upgrade (and after final payment and kept my promo, but the same promo is going on now anyway). Obviously, YMMV.

And can I mention how beyond excited I am to be in a mini suite when I thought I'd be in an inside? [emoji3] They gave me my room number immediately, too, even though it was a guarantee. Happy dance! I hope you also have good luck in getting your upgrade, OP!

Did you make calls while the ship was at sea or just while in port?

Like I said above, I used it while the ship was at sea as well as in port. Actually, 90% of my calls were made while at sea.

Also international charges sometimes are 60 days delayed....could that be why?

It's been about 60 days, and I haven't seen any new charges, so I doubt it. But, like I said, I stayed within my minute, text, and data allowances, so I wouldn't see any new charges, anyway. I kept track while on the trip to make sure I didn't go over, and the final tallies Verizon sent me basically matched what I had tracked.

That's weird! I did not receive any additional charges from NCL or Verizon. When I got my bill, everything was expected. I got 100 international minutes, 100 international outgoing texts, unlimited incoming texts, and 100 MB of data for $30. I stayed within those limits and that's what I was charged.

I used my Verizon international plan with no problem on the Epic on a Western Med itinerary. Worked in all ports and on the cruise ship while sailing between ports. A little slow on the ship, but not too bad.

I had a balcony on my sailing, too, and loved it!!!! I have an inside for my upcoming cruise but I'm calling the upsell department 7 days out and seeing if I can get a good deal on a balcony! :) Have fun!

When I did a recent 7-day Epic sailing, my personal onboard expenditures were the ice bar, some drinks (didn't have UBP), Moderno (prepaid), a spa treatment (prepaid), one photo, and a souvenir magnet (I think it was about $5-6), so my spending habits sound similar to yours. There was lots of other stuff to spend money on, but they didn't interest me. Not sure whether you might change your mind when you're onboard, but if you don't think you'll shop or indulge in any specialty restaurants spontaneously, you're probably safe in figuring out the cost of what you want to do and throwing in a little extra to be safe.

I did bring cash onboard for tips, and I found several crew members that went above and beyond that I wanted to tip.

I also will say that I only planned on going to the ice bar once, but the other solo travelers I met onboard happened to love it (as did I!) and had so much fun that we ended up there 4 different nights. If you think it might be a place you would return to, and you're crazy like us, you might want to plan on extra for that! [emoji13]

Obviously, each person's spending habits/interest in purchases will be different, but I didn't find a lot I personally wanted to spend money on other than what I mentioned above. YMMV.

I brought Euros to spend in port, but I didn't end up spending much among the six ports, either, and most of it was tips for excursions. I only spent about 150 euros in port.

Hope that helps a little!

I loved my Epic B6 room (10315), which had the bed by the balcony. If this works, this should take you to my post in the "NCL Cabin Information" thread, which has pics.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=47719284&postcount=123

I can't speak for the Getaway, but when I was on a large balcony on the Epic, mine had two chairs and a table. I had read that a previous guest had had two chairs, a table, and a lounger in my very same room, and I was looking forward to that lounger! :) I asked my cabin steward to please bring a lounger (and tipped him for doing so), and he had a lounger on my balcony in less than 30 minutes. I'm sure you can ask your steward for what you would like.

I always have one or two Rebellous Fish on my cruises. Just got back from the Jewel and no more plastic bowls. I have couple of the glass fish bowls which are cool looking.😀

I hope you're right that they're back in glass! It sucks to try to pack them, but I want more and will be on the look out next month on the Dawn!

I took "no more plastic bowls" to mean "no more bowls at all" since I wasn't offered anything special (even for an extra price) on my recent Epic trip. I'm hoping GordonChick's is the right interpretation, though!

I know it's unlikely that a company would go back to a more-costly option, but I am hopin' and wishin' and dreamin'. :D Anyone know if bowls are gone completely or if some miracle exists and I can snag one in any material? :p

I stock up on as many samples, deluxe samples (Ulta and Sephora are great in this regard, as are gifts with purchases), or travel sizes as I can. I travel frequently for work, too, so I get a lot of use out of products of these sizes, enough that I seek them out.

I pack them in fold-up organizers that have different-sized pockets and a hanger. The attached picture is from my recent trip on the Epic. One bag in the pic I got at Target several years ago, and the other is a relatively recent Ulta purchase, but they're available pretty much everywhere.

To the left of the bags, you can see some of my eye shadows on the wall. I have a large magnetic board at my house that hangs on the wall, and I place small magnets on the back of my cosmetics that are amenable to this, so they stick to the board and don't take up counter space. It's like art! (At least, that's what I tell my husband! :D) Since cruise ship walls are magnetic, I was able to use them to my advantage.

The other picture shows how I got around using both of the towel holders for my toiletries. Portable suction cup hook. :D

I was on the Epic at the end of August/early September (so a ship with a good number of solo travelers because of the Studios), and one morning when I went to breakfast alone, the hostess was surprised and said to me, "You're eating alone? How sad!"

Not exactly what I expected from a cruise line that embraces solo travelers! :)

I am traveling solo on the Star end of November and was considering booking one of the Specialty restaurants in advance. How is one treated there? Are you always seated alone?

If I book, can I change my mind and cancel once on board? Really hoping that I may meet some people while there and torn between locking myself into something or leaving myself open.

 

Any advice or experiences

Lynda

I can't speak to being able to cancel onboard, but I ate in Moderno on the Epic, and I was treated wonderfully. I was seated alone, but that's what I wanted, so it was all good! :)

I will say that eating alone had one nice advantage. I ate alone in the MDR for five breakfasts, a lunch, and one dinner and in Moderno for one dinner, and I was seated at a lovely table for two next to the window every single time! It was wonderful! When I ate with groups of other solos I met on the trip, we were always in the middle of the room, far from the windows. I loved eating with the other solos I met, and we always had a great time at meals, but the view was spectacular when I was alone, which was nice.

It was done away with in 2012, I think.

Bummer! Thanks!

It was my favorite drink on the Epic in August, but they didn't ask me if I wanted a souvenir fish bowl, so I didn't even know the bowl existed until this thread! I'm on the Pearl in a couple of weeks, but it sounds like I don't have a shot at getting the glass version. Have they completely done away with it?

What did you do in Palma

I had the shore excursion package so I booked an NCL excursion in every port except one. The one in Palma was the bike riding one, Cycle Palma I think it's called. It was a great way to explore the city and I saw a lot of really cool things and heard great stories!

The highlight was a visit to the church to buy cookies made by cloistered nuns. They're not allowed to see the outside world, so you order through a wall and pay/get your cookies from a turntable-like thingy. And the story behind why they started making cookies to begin with is steeped in tradition.

Just a very cool place with very cool experiences!

I had a similar thing happen to me on my recent Epic cruise. Booked a specialty restaurant but could not pay on the website and had to call to complete the transaction. For my upcoming Pearl trip, I had no problems paying for a spa pass online. Sometimes the website says I can prepay my gratuities, sometimes it says that option is not available (it comes and goes). It's a very glitchy website.

Thanks for your well-thought-out and well-stated review! I am sailing on the Pearl on a 4-day 3 weeks from today, and this helped a lot!

I'm sorry this happened to you, and I appreciate intent of your initial post and the reminder to read the T&Cs and not trust the verbal word of an employee--which extends far beyond NCL, cruising, or traveling. After being beaten up in the reimbursement process and still out a considerable sum of money, it can't feel good to continue to be beaten up for a PSA, either. :( So sorry that the "hits just keep on coming."

Actually, we met some people aboard the ship....and at different times, one person would take the cards of 3 or 4 people and get drinks. We didn't have any issues, it was very smooth and easy.

I had the same experience on the Epic a few weeks ago.