Notnewtoit

On 7/15/2019 at 4:37 PM, zqvol said:

Call NCL, you may get 25% of the difference as OBC. It never hurts to ask.

This... they will give you 25% of the difference ONCE... so you have to decide precisely when you choose to blink.

🙂

2 hours ago, GA Dave said:

FYI:  I just saved almost $3000 on our next Haven cruise by calling and asking for the current "20% off for Latitudes previous cruisers" discount.  The only thing I lost was a $300 OBC, which was way offset by the huge reduction in the PP rate.

Yup, I've saved about $3000 on a Haven OS Alaska cruise just by booking (the cabin I want) early and then grabbing price reductions as they appeared online, which was 3-4 times. 

Yup, we book Haven from the get-go, 'cos we like specific cabins and I'm genetically unlucky so don't leave things to chance. That said I watch like a hawk for and take price reductions all the way to the line...

58 minutes ago, CookieShip said:

Looks like I just need to email a recent statement to ShareholderBenefit@ncl.com showing my ownership of at least 100 shares, do I need to block out any information? Carnival use to make me block out account numbers, which I thought was odd...

 

Can the OBC be used for anything? Like if bought CruiseNext certificates, would it apply towards those?
It cannot be applied towards the DSC correct? 

 

Anything else I should know? Thanks

Nope, works as you describe though NCL does also insist you block out any account numbers. They typically reply in 2-3 days. Once on board your OBC essentially goes toward settlement of your final bill, so spend as you desire; I've never been told "oh no you can't buy xyz with your money sir", but it probably just washes out over various meals/drinks etc.

5 hours ago, nhquilter1 said:

I have the drink package which has been paid for and pre-paid my gratuities...what would I use an OBC for? Just can't figure out what I would spend $ on when everything is taken care of.

Thoughts??

Take home booze (checked bag)... NCL keeps me in JW Blue and Hennessy XO.

On 6/23/2019 at 8:15 PM, mugtech said:

There are those of us out here who will only sail on Jewel class ships.

Yup, when the Jewels go we're outta there...

Ooof, not my cup of tea either... sad. My desire to sail on an NCL mega-ship has declined to zero. Not to say that there aren't drunks on the Jewels either but at least the numbers help the odds. Seems like drunken/obnoxious behavior is the emerging theme for the summer of 2019.

On 6/11/2019 at 10:23 PM, don't-use-real-name said:

 

If you have not booked your dining reservations pre-cruise by all means when you get on board your ship head to

the Dining Reservations or alternate designated area and book those times or have the "ohhh errrr" Butler*** do right

then and there. Waiting means the times fill up and you may be out of luck. Have your dining times coordinated

with any previous shore excursions and post show times - be flexible - first come first served/reserved.

*** the Butler can do this acting as the Concierge's representative

The Concierge may have tables reserved for suite use but can't just bump existing reservations. 

I was playing with irony...

Just now, schildiams said:

Do they actually do anything? What would make me love one? Give me shipboard credit? Free upgrade? WHat's the draw?

 

Nope - above their pay grade... They call you up randomly when their rent is due and try to sell you cruises you don't want but are a 'great offer'. I cannot discern that they can do a single thing that you cannot do on the website for yourself.

3 minutes ago, schildiams said:

Hi - what's the benefit of having an NCL personal consultant? One called and I told him that I prefer to be able to talk to anyone/use the website to make my own changes, but after we hung up, he emailed me and apparently assigned himself to me anyway. Is there any benefit to this? I feel like if i need to make a change that I now need to speak to him only which might caused delay. what does he get out of this (commission?)  vs. what can he do for me that I can't do myself? Thanks!

Some are in love with their PCC, I (and many) find them to be a redundant parasitic annoyance that are difficult to get rid of even with IV Vancomycin.

We've only ever been escorted to Moderno upon embarkation (Jewels) and handed our dinner reservations with the question "would you like to change any?" If you answer "yes" they then suck their teeth and say "ohhh errrr, that might be difficult, it's very busy you know" at which point one wonders why they bothered asking in the first place.

Then escorted to Cagney's for lunch and that's it.

Maybe we're just all getting old... remembering the good old days of a quiet-zone totally free open sundeck at the front of the Jewels etc. Younger cruisers will jump on Encore for the first time and know no better as they breathe a sign of relief that the ship isn't full of those grumpy old people... 😃 

Then they'll look up at the Haven and say "I wanna be up there"... and NCL will have succeeded in its cunning plan.

...plus getting to Europe probably pushes the cost close anyway?

No contest in my mind... the Encore trip is longer = even more stress reduction. IMHO some of those Med' ports are "meh" at best, Palma seriously? Cannes, not really an enthralling 'destination'... 

That said, the top deck plans for Encore concern me unless you are Haven bound; but each to their own on that account.

3 minutes ago, Beardface said:

 

 

Given how large the Vibe is on this ship, I'm going to guess that they are going to let in upwards of 3 or 4x as many people as on other ships.

 

If they don't, I could see them quickly changing tactics, because this is literally the only over-18 location on the ship

Yeah I was looking at that Vibe area and the density of sun loungers they have in there. I know it's only an artists rendering but I fear it isn't too far from the truth... yuk. It might be no kids, but it's too many adults for my taste!

22 minutes ago, Beardface said:

 

The Red outline now shows how much of the top deck is accessible to people who don't pay a premium for the Haven, Vibe, or the GoKarts and Laser Tag

 

That's...... not good

Oooof, that sucks.

Reflection for NCL's benefit. We like to sail in the Haven when we can afford it and that's really the only way I'd sail on this ship, since being held captive near an overcrowded pool and bad band does not appeal. Guess they are playing to the money as the airlines are prone to do w/business class pax. From what I read here, Vibe requires one to arrive stupid early and then sprint like Carl Lewis to stand a chance of getting a ticket right? Yeah that ain't gonna happen either... I'm on vacation NCL... trying to avoid stress. 

Oh well, as long as the Jewels keep sailing, we'll keep sailing NCL, when they go, we go, there is simply not a product we want to 'upgrade to'.

4 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

Around 4:30 before dinner service. 

Thanks for the helpful answer 😉

I have to say, one of the nicest things about these cabins is that shower... the window is just a joy; watching the ocean slide by as the water rolls down you is an experience hard to beat after a long day of doing nothing in the sun or a shore excursion. It's also a damned good shower! 

Ya just have to be a bit careful if you're showering as you enter/leave port and the dock... (there is a blind).

The biggest single benefit of the Haven is however the enclave like serenity, particularly on the Jewels.

There is a sliding solid wood pocket door between the bed/bath area and the living room area. There is also a heavy curtain at the base of the bed to shut the bedroom off from the bathroom area if you so desire.

On first inspection is does seem 'odd' to lie in bed looking at your bathroom but in practice it's entirely fine, you tend to focus on the window and out to sea. The toilet and shower are in separate cubicles to one side... you're not looking straight at them.

Generally people (including us) love these cabins and rarely want to go back!

FYI, aft facing penthouse suites offer a great and cost effective alternative (without the bathroom 'view') but don't include Haven Courtyard access, you do get concierge/butler/perks however. IMHO whether to choose one of these or the Haven 'proper' depends on itinerary. For anywhere warm (say Caribbean) the Haven proper is worth it for the private sun deck, plunge pool and courtyard. For Alaska, where these are less important the aft PH is hard to beat unless you want to step up to an OS.

5 minutes ago, Shrewsbury on Tour said:

Hi,

 

Basically I was just about to pay my balance of £3400.

 

But if I book as new Cruise now...it costs me £2500 ??

 

Best to cancel and rebook surely?? 

 

They cannot stop that can they???

 

 

CALL THEM!!! They will be helpful!

... there's no looking back now (or going back for that matter)... you lucky people 🙂

There are a bunch of things you can do/have done for you, having a good attitude toward your butler (who is not a slave) is a great starting point. Beyond that I would say:

• Enjoy the experience, enjoy the peace, enjoy the 'haven', chill, relax...
• Use the Haven sundeck, it's literally a gem
• Enjoy those breakfasts in Moderno
• Make use of the concierge, particularly getting you on and off the ship via the secret-squirrel elevator.
• Enjoy wandering into the Haven only area of the theater
• Shower with the blind up
• Did I mention... Enjoy the experience, enjoy the peace, enjoy the 'haven', chill, relax...

...oh and don't get drawn into the ridiculous tipping BS that some claim is necessary. Tip if/when you are impressed.

Worth a call to NCL to see if they can help with a refund or OBC or such. Remembering that if they do rebook you at a lower price, your prevailing offers may change. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. 

...I've found asking nicely has worked very well!

... but you would get free drinks 😉

Big advocate of the Jewel class here (if you don't have kids), was in Alaska last year on Pearl, or was it Jade, it's a blur 😉 Will be on Jewel in Alaska in August again. 

I want to second the advice to either bite the bullet and pay for a balcony or shoot for an upgrade... basically every minute of your cruise in Alaska is part of the 'excursion', from scenery to whales, the Captain will often just call over the tannoy to "check the port 3 o'clock" or whatever. 

Also, I have been tracking prices on our August 2019 cruise and they have dropped substantially over recent weeks (thank you NCL for those refunds); there literally has not been a better time to buy this year.

Another tactic is to get smart with your choice of credit card(s), careful choice and use through the year can rack up some handy airmiles which may allow for low cost travel even late in the game; Southwest for example.