Candy Apple 12

23 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

ETrade, which was independent but now owned by Morgan Stanley, is an excellent brokerage platform and it's website and app are easy to use. Absolutely NO DRAWBACKs and they even have a good premium savings account that's currently paying 4.25%

4.25% for a savings account? Wow! What’s the minimum deposit?

7 hours ago, Seas2mountains said:

Do you live in the US? I assume you do since you are interested in an eTrade account. 
 

Do you have any retirement savings accounts through an employer such as a 401k, 403b or 457b or an IRA?  If so, you may be able to trade shares from funds within the account to purchase 100 shares of NCL. This would mean that you wouldn’t have to create a new brokerage account just for NCL. 
 

My NCL shares are in a retirement account. 

I looked into this, but it’s not feasible right now. Thank you for the suggestion. 

15 minutes ago, phillygwm said:

Sure, while I don't have experience with them, E-Trade is as good as any brokerage, especially if it's just a small account with 100 shares of NCLH.  I don't believe they charge commission.  For different reasons, I have accounts with Fidelity and Schwab; I know those are commission free.  Both are easy to setup and use.

 

When you book your next cruise, you'll print out the form on the NCL website, send a copy of your brokerage statement showing the NCLH holding (blacking account your account number), and you're on your way.

Thanks for mentioning Fidelity and Schwab. I was not aware of that they were commission free, as is E*Trade. Good to have options.

With the stock price dropping, I’m thinking of biting the bullet and finally buying stock to get the OBC for my two upcoming cruises. Does anyone have any experience with using E*trade to buy stock? This might be the easiest way to do it. Any negatives? It looks like it takes three business days to find your account, though. Hopefully the price stays low until then and goes up afterwards. 

1 minute ago, davencl said:

Yes you will see the FCC in your account at the end of your cruise.

Thank you for clarifying that I’ll see it after the cruise. No need to keep looking for it until then!

On 11/7/2023 at 9:29 PM, davencl said:

I don't have the direct answer to your question.  In my case of 2 passengers the FCC was divided between the two of us.   It's very likely you'll save money so worth the phone call.

On 11/8/2023 at 6:45 AM, TrumpyNor said:

We were also two persons, and the price drop FCC was divided between the two of us. An alternative to asking for a price drop future cruise credit, is that there may have been significant pricedrops also in other cabin categories, so that you can purchase a regular upgrade and just pay a few dollars for the upgrade (just paying the difference between what you have already paid and the current price). This is possible to do also after final payment, as long as the new cabin cost more than the original cabin (even if the difference is only $1 in plus).

On 11/8/2023 at 7:35 AM, njkate said:

Mine was split 50/50 between myself and second passenger even though I paid 100% and it can not be transferred

Thank you for sharing your experiences. I called my TA and asked for the FCC. She said NCL put in the request, and I’ll get an email in 5-6 days from NCL. I don’t know if I’ll end up using it because this is my second cruise this year, but at least I’ll have it if I am able to cruise again.   
 

Will I see the FCC in my NCL account?

My February cruise (past PIF date) has gone down by about $900. If they will give me FCC for the difference, how will that be distributed between the three passengers in my cabin? $300 each or $900 to the lead passenger? One reason it’s gone down is the third passenger is now free (had been $98).

I don’t have any cruises scheduled for after that cruise, so I’m trying to figure out if it’s worth asking. Maybe one of the other passengers in my cabin would want the FCC. If it all goes to me (I’m the lead passenger), could I give it to one of my traveling companions for a future cruise?

IIRC I have one year from the ending date of the cruise to use the FCC and sail. Am I correct?

8 minutes ago, Sthrngary said:

 Your vacation should have a Before, During, and After element of JOY. 

 

How very true! I think that’s why many of us spend time on CC—the anticipatory joy of learning more about our upcoming cruise and the joy of giving back to the community by sharing our experiences after the cruise.  

7 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

if you have unlimited wifi, you can set up your phone for wifi calling to talk for free. 

 

Have you been successful in doing that? Do you need the premium WiFi? How do I do that for an iPhone? 

12 hours ago, Monica887 said:

I didn't think I would use the service at all, but the concierge was good and checked in with us multiple times. He showed up at specialty restaurants to make sure we had everything we wanted, called in specific food requests, made a spa appointment that the spa was making difficult. He called us by name, knew my dietary restrictions. Got my mom a last minute spa appointment, replaced her broken luggage. Rescheduled reservations when port times changed. 

 

It was all quick and seamless, and they get reservations and time changes that are impossible last minute on the app. Yes, we would have still had a great trip without the service, but this truly elevated the experience. 

How did they replace the luggage?

8 hours ago, Cruiseguy14 said:

By and large are haven customers so wealthy that they are use to not doing regular things for themselves and are ok paying a couple of hundred dollars for minor conviences ? That’s not really my families status 

I think most of us are travelers who enjoy the pampering of the Haven because we are not wealthy enough to be pampered like that on a daily basis, myself included. 

On 2/3/2023 at 9:44 AM, CWMixer said:

General question for clarification if anyone knows:

 

Is a tip given to the (lead) concierge then disbursed among the total concierge staff, or would it be kept entirely by the lead?

 

Most comments here only indicate a tip to 'the concierge' and don't differentiate between other members of the concierge staff, as they do with giving tips to individual bartenders, servers, etc.

 

I had this same question because every time we went to the concierge desk, we would be helped by a different person. I knew who the head concierge was, but never made note of the others because they were usually just quick interactions. I wanted to leave a tip to be split amongst the whole team so I ended up leaving a cash tip in an envelope addressed to “The Concierge Team” because I was told that I could not give a tip to a team by putting it on my account. You can tip only individual crew members by name if putting it on your account. I have faith that the head concierge split the tip with the assistants.  

19 hours ago, DwayneG said:

Your mileage may vary, but I got all the way to the top of the drop slide and was told I couldn't use it with my gold wedding band on.  According to attendant it was due to concerns it might get caught on seams or something and cause injury. Absolutely no metal of any kind, no way.

Makes sense. Who wants their finger amputated going down a slide? Was this a water slide or a dry slide? I’ve done many water slides with my wedding ring on, but I’ve always been told to cross my arms over me chest. 

1 hour ago, Grimix said:

Nope, just a simple white gold band!

That could be a problem for those who swell after a few days of salty cruise food and can’t remove their rings. I wonder if covering a ring with duct tape would be acceptable. 

27 minutes ago, wxtrix said:

 

the rep i spoke to couldn't confirm exactly how much the FCC would be if it is approved. I'll know in a week.

Please report back. Thanks!

3 hours ago, skittl1321 said:

 

Must be nice to have pockets.

 

I always clip mine to my swimsuit strap, but NCL is super picky about any metal or clips, so I don't know if they'd allow it.  (A bit different than the OP's son; but it does make me wonder what they expect you to do with your keycard...  I'm solo, so it's not like someone can hold onto it for me.)

I have slipped mine down the front of my one piece swimsuit. I’ve had no problem with doing that. 
 

2 hours ago, Grimix said:

Doubt they'd let anything clipped to a swimsuit through. Might get lucky if stored in a pocket. They made me take off my wedding ring to go down the slides.

 
Do you have a plain band, or do you have stones on your ring?

50 minutes ago, wxtrix said:

thanks for the info in this thread--our cabin for our next cruise has dropped $1,000 and for some reason i thought NCL would only give you a FFC worth 25% of the difference after final payment, I called and put in a request for the FFC.

That’s what they did for me back in October 2021. I think it’s full FCC now. Am I correct?

35 minutes ago, schmoopie17 said:

We booked a new cruise (not an existing cruise) when we returned from the November TA. 

That’s what NCL wants us to do with the FCC! I just need to figure out how I can use it—do I need to book within a year or sail within a year?

24 minutes ago, n4w said:

FCC would be given AFTER your Dec cruise completed, when the 12 month expiration date is attached.  It would not apply for your Feb cruise since you would have paid in full, unless you wanted to pay to move up to a higher cabin.  So you can plan on upgrading from your current cabin, or you could downgrade before your 120 days, and then apply the FCC towards your move back up. 

So it would expire 12 months from the last day of my December cruise? And I would need to sail within 12 months from the last day of my December cruise? Do I understand this correctly?

Your idea about downgrading and upgrading might work for someone, but the February cruise keeps going up in price, that’s not an option for me. 

4 minutes ago, D_And_K_gocruising said:

They used it for "A" cruise in Feb it sounds like.. Not one already booked. 

True. I didn’t catch that. Maybe someone can help me with my situation/question.

3 hours ago, schmoopie17 said:

Not true. Our November, 2022 TA dropped a total of $1100 after final payment. A call to our PCC resulted in a FCC of $1100 on our next cruise. But we had to wait until the November cruise was finished to see it applied to our account. We then used it for a cruise in February. 

 

This topic has been discussed many, many, many times on CC.

 

 

 

So your price dropped for your November cruise but you were able to use the FCC on your February cruise? How did that work? By my calculations you would have paid your February cruise in full prior to your November cruise because there are 119 days between November 1 and February 28, and your paid in full date would have been at 120 days prior to sailing for your February cruise, seeing that you are in the U.S. 

I just noticed that my December cruise dropped, but I wasn’t sure whether to ask for the FCC because I wasn’t sure I could apply it to my February cruise.
 

I also have heard that the FCC is only valid for one year. Is that one year from when you finished your November cruise or one year from when you asked for it?

Thanks!

Thank you for the pictures! They’ll have to do until my next cruise!

We stayed at the Embassy Suites LAX South this past April. We took an Uber to the port. There were four of us, so we needed a larger Uber, but it was definitely more convenient than dragging luggage back to the airport to go on the NCL shuttle. I don’t recall how much we paid because my in-laws paid for the Uber, but it was cheaper than if the four of used the NCL shuttle. 

2 minutes ago, julig22 said:

No, not what they are saying.  You need a current statement, so one that is 90 days old could be denied.

That makes sense. @Russiamomm’s post  made me think you needed to hold the stock for at least 90 days. 

4 hours ago, Russiamomm said:

Yup.  Me too.  I’ve even gotten it on “comped” cruises from CAS.  I’ve never heard of anyone being denied as long as they have the proof of ownership.  The only glitch I’ve had was providing a brokerage statement dated more than 90 days prior to the date of submission of the request.  I had just used the same redacted statement I used for a previous crUise.  All I had to do was print and redact a current statement and email it back.  The OBC posted within 24 hours.

So you need to have a 90 day old statement? I’ve been keeping an eye on the stock price to see if it drops enough for me to bite because I have two cruises coming up, but the first of these is in less than 90 days. The form doesn’t say anything about 90 days. Did you find this info elsewhere?

8 hours ago, darlene62 said:

I was lucky enough to have Gian as my butler.  I would never consider him as to spouting a spiel as a concierge. I believe him to be honest, hardworking and always no matter what pain in the butts we can be as helpful.  I can say this because he was a butler for me and my mother.  My mother was ill but got Dr's approval to travel.  Honestly Loved her but I was scared.  Gian without knowing circumstances treated my mother like a queen. As a butler he took special care of her, and I was so grateful.  She passed on a few months later but many times during our conversations she stated she loved cruise and love Gian for paying attention to her.  I am not criticizing anyone, but I do think sometimes we expect too much ...Not saying at all poster is rude and I understand we pay so much for the cruise. I just think that many passengers are a bit too demanding.  Gian was the best. 

8 hours ago, darlene62 said:

Just have to add...Gian in my opinion went outside his duties to make my mom special. I hope someday to be able to convey this to him as it being the last trip my mom took she felt so special.

5 hours ago, Treasure Hunter said:

My mother loved cruising. I’m sorry I never got to take her in the Haven. I think CandyApple didn’t mean anything against Gian. Just trying to keep a nice surprise. I have had the speech in both places, in the pre boarding lounge ( which itself is a give away with the pastries and on board in the Haven lounge. Just go with the flow with a big smile and let them figure it out!

I definitely was not trying to disparage Gian! My apologies. I was just relating our experiences on the two cruises on which embarkation was delayed. Gian was wonderful on both of our cruises and remembered us on the second one. I hope he is on the Bliss on our upcoming cruise with my mom.
 

I was asking for others experiences so I would know if my experience was the norm or if it was unusual due to the delayed embarkation process. Thank you, @Treasure Hunter, for letting me know it’s been both ways for you. The concierge needs to give his spiel (AKA “this is what you need to know about the Haven) either in the pre-boarding lounge or in the Haven lounge so that Haven neophytes can make the most of the Haven experience. Knowing that the spiel may occur in either location helps me prepare for my surprise. 
 

I will definitely have a big smile on my face whenever she figures it out!
 

My condolences to both of you on the loss of your mothers, whether it was recently or many years ago.