trivimp

That makes sense.  You dug into it further than I did.  Thanks for clarifying 

@njhorseman missed the point, although he is correct that the taxes are usually the same for all cabins (except in HI.)

The point is that, in the example, $162 is the port fee by itself.

$279 is the total of all taxes & fees.  

The port fee (which is in tiny tiny type under the pink-sand picture) is a fixed amount, $162.37.

The other taxes & fees are variable depending on what cabin you book, how many are in the cabin, and so forth.

$279.70/pp is the sum of all of the taxes & fees (excluding the Free at Sea gratuities.) They can't show you that number until they know all the variables I mention in the second line.  

To clarify:  Read the pink-sand-picture information as "Now starting at 299, plus taxes, plus fees, plus port fee of 162" or something along those lines.  Is it deceptive, or merely ambiguous?  Your call, but it's pretty typical of fine-print shenanigans everywhere {shrug} 

25 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

• Hibachi grill restaurants
• Lunch counters
• City restaurants with limited seating
• Farm-to-table restaurants and others that promote family-style dining (I can think of two near me, one of whom is run by an executive chef that won Top Chef
• Even fancy-schmancy restaurants like Momofuku (NY) and The Publican (Chicago, pictured below) 

 

It also is pretty common in Europe. One of my favorite eateries in Florence offers a variety of tables, some of them shared. 

• Blues roadhouses & BBQ joints (as an example I submit one of my faves, BB's Lawnside in Kansas City)

Just book for 2, they won't charge you.  You'll be seated at a two-top anyway, but you will be charged only for the one dinner you eat.  

On 5/7/2022 at 1:51 PM, ChiefMateJRK said:

It's a Scandinavian utterance of disgust.  When growing up, we couldn't say "dang" because it was too close.  Uff Da was okay. 😎

Thanks for a Mother's Day memory 🙂  My Swedish grandmother, when vexed, used to exclaim "Uff da, my starsss" with that odd fricative S sound.  If she was even more sorely vexed, she would huff, "Darn his socks!"

OK, back to the regular thread.  

Anecdote:  I tried to take my 26" suitcase on board at San Juan cruise terminal, and they made me give it to the porter instead.  (Feb 2020 cruise)

Could it have fit the scanner lying down?  Who knows, they didn't let me try.

Could I have taken it on board at another terminal?  <shrug> 

I'm with @melodyesch, losing my luggage is my biggest fear, because I am not a standard size & I can't just accept OBC & get a few things at the gift shop.  I've been on cruises where NOTHING in the gift shop is my size.  

NCL's final payment date was 90 days as far back as I remember (mid-teens.)

Then, it went to 120 days just a couple of months before the world shut down.  Surprise!

It was at 60 days for a little while during the restart as part of the Peace of Mind program, but I always figured it would go back up to 120 at some point.  And so it has.

If one tends to book last minute, none of this matters.  

Alternately, if one tends to book waaaaay in advance, it doesn't matter too much either.  You've got plenty of time to get your finances in order.

The amount of interest I could earn on my cruise fare by hanging on to it for another 30 days is pretty dang negligible, given today's interest rates.  

Yes, both the doors & most of the walls are metal & are fine for hooks.  (Cabinets are some kind of wood & won't work with magnets.)

Yes, under-bed storage is ample for suitcases.  There's also some drawers under the sofa, if you're in a cabin that has one.  Plenty of storage.  

Yes & yes.  Bon voyage!  

Correct, you won't need to tip an additional amount.  (Some cruisers like to add a small cash tip, which may help ensure good service for the rest of the week; they are in the minority.)

The exception is, when you are in some US ports, you will be charged local taxes on your drink.  In Seattle, for example, it's 10.25%.  So, a buck & change per drink until you sail away.  For that, they'll swipe your card & have you sign a tab.  

Just you.  I thought it was fine.  

I know you could get veggie burgers at lunch in the MDR on our last trip on Bliss, even though not on the menu.  They may have been bringing them down from the buffet.  It's helpful to alert the server as early as possible if you know you want to order something off-menu, they can put it in motion even before everyone else picks up the menu.  

oh, also, if you do end up with an upgrade & will change cabins, then just pack up & leave the bags in the cabin.  The room steward will move them to the new cabin.  

You won't need to pack up.  On the last day of the first week, they will have you meet with any other B2B'ers in a lounge somewhere on board, you'll be given the info in a flier in your cabin the night before.  They will give you a sticker if you want to get off the ship & walk around a bit in town; when you return to the terminal, show them your sticker & you will jump most of the line.  They just need to issue you a new card for the week.

Take your ID when you get off the ship, of course.

Also, they will give you a no-cost COVID test on the next to last day of the first week.  Again, the info will be delivered to your cabin.  

Warning, once you do a B2B, it's hard to do just a single week 🙂 

If you're making reservations online and you have a combination of Latitudes perks & Free at Sea dining, the trick is to book the fixed-price venues first (Moderno & Teppanyaki,) then book the remaining venues in a separate transaction.  This has no bearing on how the meals will actually be charged once you're on board; it just gets around a website glitch.  When you dine, let your server know which voucher you want to use for the meal.  

19 minutes ago, davencl said:

Ocean Blue for us.  Surprised on last cruise we really liked Los Lobos.  Cagney's good also.

Los Lobos surprised us on our last cruise as well.  It has jumped to a very high spot on our list 😍 The tableside guacamole is a must-try !!

My personal faves are Le Bistro & Teppanyaki.  But food is so personal, it's hard to make that call for someone else.  All of them are pretty good.  Also, if you happen to get something you don't really care for, the servers will fall all over themselves getting you something else if you tell them you didn't like it.  You can't really go wrong in any event.  

Final payment is now 120 days, so your cruise has probably already gone through one round of drops.  It will likely drop further, but risks selling out your preferred cabin category.  If it seems like a good price now, go ahead & book, and don't sweat it any more.  Bon voyage!  

On Glacier Bay day, they'll most likely have a special setup in the Observation Lounge serving snowplows.  Yum.  On other days, Irish coffee or spiked hot chocolate is generally available, or just get the ☕ from the buffet & proceed to the nearest bar to add a shot of Bailey's or whatever 

Just the first day.  At port stops, they'll have the all-aboard time posted at the gangway, it's usually 30-60 minutes before sailing.  

As far as budgeting, it will depend entirely on what you are drinking, but as an example: 

You order a drink that costs $12 (which is a fairly average price)

Seattle sales tax is 10.25% (I got that number off Google, I don't know if it's current, but just as an example)

Your cost will be $12 x 10.25% = $1.23

You won't be charged tax while the ship is underway & past the 3-mile point that chengkp discusses, even though parts of the inside passage are certainly closer than 3 miles.  

BWAHAHAHAHA

I don't think I've ever had a cruise where I didn't have someone on my balcony or in my cabin unexpectedly at some point.  Window washer, maintenance guy, room steward delivering strawberries, whatever.  It's become kind of a running joke...

I figure I'm not the first fat old lady that has accidentally flashed them, and I won't be the last 😛 

I had a who's-on-first conversation with The Guy last time we were watching a fireworks show (4th of July, probably)

Him:  What's the name of that Katy Perry song that they always play for fireworks shows?

Me: Firework.

Him: Yeah, fireworks, what's the name of the song?  

(repeat a couple times till he gets it)

NCL has been pretty weak on their godparent game for the last few ships, but I like this choice!! Big name recognition & it'll be lots of Katy Perry on the hold music when you call the 800 number 🙂 

I liked Q the first time I went there, but not so much the second.  So, maybe not too consistent.