EmeraldCoastCruisers

Anyone have a better phone number than 800-421-2110?  I’ve tried calling, had a difficult time getting to a live person.  Never did and then was disconnected twice!  Help!  

On 5/10/2020 at 9:57 PM, EmeraldCoastCruisers said:

Brilliant!  Thank you so much!

I think I may have made a mistake when booking (in order to use the upgrade option with the CC points).  I booked an IA as I thought that's what I read before, but that appears to be an Inside GTY cabin.  Should I go ahead and get moved to an IF and then use my upgrade, or will they upgrade with an IA category?

9 hours ago, mscdivina2016 said:

No concern,

 As far as the extra points you need......Book it now, have them put down a minimum of $501.00   Not $500   Being an NCL product you will get triple points and it will post with end of credit card cycle, so you will have 60,001 points.

 

World points is closed still. I am waiting to use points for 2023 cruises now.

Steve

Brilliant!  Thank you so much!

On 11/3/2019 at 12:29 PM, WYB! said:

Hello,

I suggest if you are going to try to use points for a cabin meta upgrade you'll want to book at least 4 months ahead of the cruise date:

to get a BA Mid-Ship Balcony, using 60,000 points (double meta upgrade), you'll need to book a I1 Family Inside

to get a BA Mid-Ship Balcony, using 30,000 points (single meta upgrade), you'll need to book a O1 Family Oceanview Picture Window

When redeeming points with NCL for a meta upgrade you'll get 1 cabin category down from what you book.

(ie booking in a category: 1 can get you an A, A can get you a B, B can get you a C, etc.)

 

The further out you book the greater the chance of you getting it.

 

Use a Cruise Next Certificate to create a reservation number.

You should then contact the world points people (1-866- 954-4077) the day you get a NCL confirmation number. They will tell you if you can redeem the points or not. If they are unable to accept the points to upgrade you can still cancel your cruise booking.

 

You can't do a meta upgrade if you book in a Sail Away "X" category.

 

Things you can also redeem points for:

https://www.ncl.com/world-points

 

Safe travels,

 

- WhosYourBuddy!

I know this is an older post and a lot has happened in between!  However, I am looking at booking an inside cabin for a cruise in Feb 2022 with a portion of my FCC on a cruise that was cancelled.  IF I book an inside cabin in hopes to use the double meta upgrade to a balcony cabin should I be concerned this far out?  I'd really like a balcony, but have 58,498 points right now and looking to get those up to 60,000 to do this.  Any advice appreciated!

5 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

 

You will definitely lose balcony space if upgraded to a mini-suite. Angled balconies are 50% larger than the normal balcony and mini-suite balconies. None of the mini-suites have an angled balcony. So you would be trading balcony space for a larger bathroom. That's your call.

Thank you for your reply!  That’s exactly what I was seeing and even in some of the Haven categories it seemed so as well.  

First time getting an upgrade request on our Encore sailing in May.  We currently have an angled balcony and looking at the mini suites, spa mini suites and even the haven, some balconies appear smaller then the angled. I’m not interested in a 2bedroom haven, but can anyone confirm the havens or mini suites balcony size?  I’d hate to do an upgrade request and reduce our balcony size. 

6 hours ago, lamchops said:

The stock is at a 5 year low today. If you’re into cruising mainly with NCL, it may be time to buy. $32.00.

Unfortunately I bought a few months ago when it was dropping and it sure wasn’t this low!  🙄

12 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

 

Is it in your message center on My NCL?

No!  I looked there first. 😢

Silly question, but I received the upgrade email and called to tell them my email address was changing.  I didn’t forward the upgrade email and it’s now gone. Can I call to get another one?  I don’t see it on my NCL sign on page as others have shared in the past.  

1 hour ago, Budget Queen said:

Absolutely right ever visit is very different.  I’ve done over 75 cruises to Alaska including 6 last season.   

I'd love to know which is the best for only a 7 day option?  Inside passage, round trip, NCL or something else?  There are SOOOO many options I can't decide the best for the least amount of available time.  TIA

On 11/8/2019 at 6:32 PM, TheDougOut said:

 

 

 

This may be a silly question, but we’ve been to Cagney’s 3-4 times on other ships and never knew you could get lobster with your steak!  Is that only on the Encore now or all NCL with Cagney’s?  I learn something new each cruise (or post of cruises). 

On 8/20/2019 at 12:17 PM, ScottnBobbi said:

Cruise Review of Some Important Items.

 

 

Flight In:

Flew in on Saturday, July 20, 2019 to Ft. Lauderdale.  Flights arranged by NCL were the worst they could arrange.  This is really the only issue we had, but it was so bad we may not travel with NCL in future.  11 and ½ hours to travel from Connecticut to Florida.  

 

Had reservations at hotel in South Beach (Z Ocean)  

·     South Beach was interesting to see ONCE.  Wouldn’t go again.  People on the cruise said to stay in Ft. Lauderdale as it is much nicer.  

 

Used LYFT to get to hotel - $42.72 (not bad considering it was a long ride)

 

·     South Beach was interesting to see ONCE.  Wouldn’t go again.  People on the cruise said to stay in Ft. Lauderdale as it is much nicer.  

 

Gluten Free:  I am a severe Celiac and must not come into contact with any gluten.  NCL has been good with this, but Breakaway was incredible.  Carlo was the specialist that worked with me and was incredible! I never really see anything about Gluten Free Diet Reviews so I will include it.  

 

Cruise Day: 

 

LYFT from South Beach was quick and reasonable at $14.05.

 

Cruise Port Arrival:

 

Arrived at the cruise port at 11:00 am.  We walked through security and check in with no lines and received a number 3 boarding card. We waited no more than about 15 minutes and they began Embarkation. 

 

IMPORTANT:Dinner reservations (at Headliners) and Show reservations (Outside Headliners) are located on Deck 6.  On Breakaway they also have touch screens everywhere. A great Maître D (Darren – Awesome all throughout trip) showed us how to use them. Really easy and you can make show/dinner reservations.  Do this as soon as you get on the ship as times fill up quick.  

 

Rooms were ready by about 1:00 PM.  We went to ours early (14164-Spa Minisuite – won upgrade bid at lowest amount – Spa was great) and it was ready by 12:30 pm.

Room Note:  

·     The service in the rooms has been getting worse by the cruise.

·     The room stewards do the minimum.

·     No more ice unless you aggravate them to bring it.

·     Towel animals are no extinct.

THIS WAS THE ONLY ISSUE WE HAD WITH THE CRUISE, but it was painful!

·     Calling for help over the phone is also useless.  Shout off the balcony, you may get better help.

 

Restaurants:

 

·     Ocean Blue * Best Restaurant on the Ship!

o  Food was incredible.  Appetizes included king crab legs and scallops.  There were three huge scallops on top of bacon.  This could be a meal.  Surf and turf is included with meal package and you get a lobster tail.  Two sides are included.  For dessert, my wife got a chocolate mousse cake and I got a gluten free cheesecake in a jar.  Turns out this was the best dessert on the boat based on our opinion gluten free or not.

o  Absolute best service on entire boat (all service was good, this was just better).

 

·     Cagney’s

o  Always good.

o  Did not disappoint.

 

·     Savor:

o  This is where we ate most meals that were not at specialty restaurants.  

o  Were exceptional with Gluten issues all trip.

 

·     Noodle Bar:

o  Reserve as soon as you get on the ship as you will not get in if you don’t.

o  Request Seat at the bar.

o  They took care of my Gluten Free needs exceptionally well.

 

 

 

Entertainment: 

 

·     Howl at the Moon – Dueling Pianos at Headliners

o  This was our favorite show.  The three piano players are great and if you are lucky Joaquin the guitarist for “Rock of Ages” shows up and plays some songs with them.

o  If it is too busy at start just come back a little later and you will find seats.

o  Adult show starts at 11:00 PM and is well worth going.

·     Pour House

o  Was said to be very good, but was extremely small.  We never got a chance to go there.

·     Velvet

o  Based on our opinion, this show was the worst of any we saw on a total of 4 cruises.  Meal was ok.

o  Spend money to go to “Ocean Blue”.

·     Rock of Ages

o  Very good show with some great performers.  

o  Best show we have seen, but most others were much shorter.

o  Very much worth going.

 

·     Headliners Comedy Club:

·     Comedians rotate nights with piano players.  The three comics were all good, Jorge was incredible and every show with him was different.  Other two comedians did the same thing over and over.  Good the first time, but not worth repeating.

 

Shore Excursion:  

 

We only booked one and just walked the ports on our own for the others.

 

 Daniel Johnson's Monkey and Sloth Hang Out

 

If you do anything in Roatan, this should be it! The booking was simple and the communication with   the hang out was quick and helpful. Upon our arrival in Roatan, we could see a parking lot crammed with buses and other forms of transportation. The lines going different places were long and plentiful. We walked by all the people gathering, walked by all of the packed buses, across the street to a clearly identifiable group of people waiting with the Dan Johnson Hang Out signs. 

            We were introduced to Felicia who would be our own personal driver. Yes, she was going to drive us around Roatan while we were there. She walked us a short distance to her car and we were on our way. The car was very comfortable and air-conditioned. Felicia drove us to the hang out and showed us many great spots and explained life in Roatan as she did. The hang out is 20 minutes or so away, but the drive was fine as we were very comfortable.  

The hang out is not a flashy tourist spot, which was amazing. Dan himself welcomed us to the hang out within the first five minutes of our arrival. We chose to snorkel as part of the package and were on the boat in no more than 15 minutes. This is a great experience no matter your skill level. You only have a 10 minute boat ride to the snorkel site and a guide swims with each group to help identify the best areas to see the great sea life in the chosen area. Dan was the one that took us out and he was extremely patient and helpful. Once back, we changed and moved on to the animals.

At the hang out, there are monkeys, birds, and sloths. We were given a tour with with another couple, four total. We were given plenty of time to experience the monkeys and birds, but the sloth was the ultimate experience. We both got to hold the sloth and we were not rushed at all. This was my wife's most anticipated event on our cruise and it did not disappoint. It is worth it! The animals were very well treated and it is clear that there are great relationships between all of the animals and the people that work there. The animals are all very well maintained and have large pens that connect to other pens. The sloths aren't even in pens. Ask to see the baby!

Felicia was waiting when we are done to take us back to the boat. We could have toured more than we did or even go to the beach, but we chose to stop at a couple of shops and go back to the boat. Felicia drove us to the entrance of the port and we were there in plenty of time.  

This is truly the best excursion we have taken during our four total cruises. The price was also the most reasonable. What was even better was that all of the money we spent went right to the people who live and work on Roatan. Dan takes care of his employees, this is VERY clear, and they all care for the animals and the people that visit them. The drive showed us some very poor areas and this was memorable as well. I am glad we saw what we did as we appreciate what we have even more than we did.  

When we found out about the hang out, the reviews seemed a little too positive. Too good to be true. It is exactly what people write about it. DO NOT HESITATE to go the Hang Out. Dan, Stephanie, Felicia and everyone else was amazing. If we return to Roatan, this will be the reason.

Thank you Dan and Felicia!

 

 

 

Very sad to hear about Velvet as we already paid for this show on our upcoming cruise!  😢

On 9/23/2019 at 8:03 PM, DaCruiseBug said:

Why do people have this credit card? It's literally one of the WORST credit cards to have. The value of the points you earn is chump change compared to what you would earn with many other reward credit cards.

Agree now!  However, we weren’t CC savvy before and actually hated using CC’s!  However, things have changed in the travel program offerings for CC’s and now trying to compare the CSR to the AmEx Platinum. Ready to switch!

On 9/25/2019 at 5:32 AM, ready2cruzagain said:

Does anyone have any information on the Velvet Dinner Show on the Breakaway?  I have done a search and finding very little.  Is it is 3 course meal?  Does anyone have the menu???

Any information would help. 

 

Doing a b2b and on the last night of the first and last cruise it is only $29.99 total for 2 and is an early time of 5:15, I would think because it is the last night and they are having problems filling the venue.

I’m not sure about the Velvet Show (although we did book this for our November sailing), but on the Breakaway in February we did go to the Cirque Dreams show and we did have an amazing 3 course meal with filet mignon!

19 minutes ago, newmexicoNita said:

It may drop some as we read on the stock report just yesterday, the profits are going to be lower than expected this year due to things like Cuba etc. It has been going up lately. In fact NCL has shown more improvement than the other two major lines, RCI and Carnival. But this could change. Time will tell, but I am assuming from what I read we will see a drop in the next few weeks or so. I do feel it will never hit the low that we paid for it about 5 years ago and our investment broker told us, it could easily hit 80.00 a share in the nest few years. 

It was at a pretty low point 2 days before I decided I definitely wanted to buy some. After that decision and the price I was willing to pay, it kept creeping Up!  Hubby said it’s due to me exiting to buy!  Hope you’re right!  I’m keeping my eyes on it and have a set dollar in my watch list to buy when it hits again. 

On 11/11/2018 at 5:16 PM, cocod08 said:

I received the shareholder benefit on my account and it did not affect my cruise perks. 

Thank goodness I'm reading it doesn't affect the other perks!  I am considering NCL stock (if prices drop) so the beginning of this feed had me second guessing.  Glad I read through some of this!

On 8/21/2019 at 11:49 AM, clo said:

What a superb idea!  Thanks.

WOW!  Glad I got this topic back up and running.  I've learned a lot from all of you.  As a banker for years, it's hard for me to have a ton of CC's and equally hard not to close and cancel those I'm not using (credit scores drop).  SO, I will take my time to make sure it's right and working for our needs prior to applying for the card.  I am also playing the game of when I will have a large purchase so I don't lose out on the free points!  Thanks again for your assistance and knowledge!

1 hour ago, KateQ22003 said:

I always get upgrade offers, and have always used an on-line TA.

Then I guess you have better luck than me!

I  currently have a NCL Credit Card.  I know a few months back they sent an email regarding the travel insurance being offered.  I LOVE NCL, but also do cruise Royal and Carnival and will probably cruise many others in the future.  I also do have flights I book periodically.  I've heard a lot about Chase Sapphire Reserve and even though it seems costly, has a lot of perks for travel.  I pay my CC off every month so I don't need comments about that. 🙂  The bonus points may not be a viable option as I'm not sure I will spend $4000 in 3 months as I don't have anything in the pipeline for that amount of spending.  I've done the research and now thought I seek some answers from others who may have this card.  TIA

25 minutes ago, KeithJenner said:

Lots of people who book via travel agents get upgrade offers.

 

I believe that some agents may not participate. Perhaps yours doesn’t.

That very well could be the case!  I'm using a different one on my cruise next year so time will tell if I get an upgrade offer on that one.  🙂

I’ve often wondered if booking through a TA has caused me not to ever get an upgrade offer!  Anyone who uses a TA have you gotten them before?

I've looked all over and can't find any real tangible info for the Aft facing balcony cabin E255 on the Carnival Paradise.  Any info appreciated!  Worth it, larger, any smell from the engines, etc., etc.

Thank you!

On 11/11/2018 at 4:36 AM, Cruise Cynic said:

You are CRAZY to even think of changing cabins...

We booked #9700 on the Bliss because the *700 cabins are HUGE!!! (a cruise ship "secret")

Also 2 TVs, larger bathroom (with tub) and separate sitting area.

 

here's a video featuring YOUR cabin on Escape - same thing .... (betcha you don't even think about changing now...)

 

 

This is great!!!!!  We just booked cabin 12100 on the Breakaway, but I don’t think it’s this big!!!!

May be a silly question, but can you bring a bottle of lime juice on board?

So sorry this happened to you. I only ordered the physical gift cards one time and I worried so much about the scenario you described, I couldn’t sleep. I told myself never again and have only ordered e-cards since.

All ended up fine thanks to AARP and UPS! I still won’t ever do hard copy gift cards again, but they both took care of us and our money was returned. Thankfully the e-gift cards came back just in time for our cruise also.

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