Named-Tawny

9 hours ago, blueslily said:

 

 

Jamie,

 

I am on the NCL website doing a mock booking. I want to see how many cabins per category are remaining. Im looking but cant find that info. Where do they post that during the booking process?

 

Thanks!

You choose the category, and then it will show you the cabins you have available to choose from.  Count how many there are.  😃

The drinks package gets you any drink that's under $15 - this covers all of the beer.

When I was on the Pearl 2 years ago, they didn't have anything that I really consider 'craft' (the closest thing was the Lagunitas, I think), but that's just the nature of the beer industry - any brewery that produces enough beer to supply a cruise line is way too big to be considered craft.

25 minutes ago, Kelownacruiser said:

Sure it does. To receive something for "free" when you need to pay something, hence, it's not free anymore. Deceptive advertising. Explain to me how you are able to obtain the drink package for free? How do I go get a drink using my drink package without it costing me anything? I can't. I can;t have the automatic gratuity removed and choose to tip in cash. Doesn't matter what the reason is for an additional cost, it's still an additional cost and is no longer free. If they had advertised it as drink package for just $20/day, that's not deceptive advertising. Free wifi is free, no deceptive advertising there.

Now, that's the way everything is nowadays, buyer beware, but doesn't make it right.

Free WiFi isn't free - it's built into the cost of your cruise fare.

Just about nothing that a company offers you is ever truly free - there is always a cost.

Facebook isn't free - you pay for it by looking at ads. The Starbucks coffee you get "free" with your loyalty points isn't free - it's baked into the cost of the coffees you do pay for.

So yes, it's true - the free drinks package isn't truly free.

But if you were to make a list of things that are called free that aren't, you'd die of old age before you were finished typing.

6 hours ago, jgreenwo17 said:

 

That said, I look forward to my first drink package experience on my first NCL cruise.  This is after 10 cruises that came before on other lines.

 

 

I loved it. 

It wasn't even about cost -it was freedom and convenience. I didn't need to track how much I drank. I didn't need to worry about the size of my account at the end.

If there was a drink of the day, I could try it. If I didn't like it, I could put it down and get something else. No need to worry.

It was great.

2 hours ago, PortFees45 said:

7-day to Quebec City out of Boston is available on NCL.com right now for $229 for a solo inside sailaway. 

 

I don't think fares get much lower than that. Do they? 

Wow. Which dates?

Let me know how the trip goes? I'll be sailing Quebec-Boston in 2020.

Depending on port, you may also need to pay taxes on your drinks

7 minutes ago, SilkShirt said:

I recently learned that NCL uses a third party company called Plusgrade for their Upgrade Advantage program. https://www.plusgrade.com/partners/ 

The people at NCL have nothing to do with the bidding to buy an upgrade. Lots of airlines and other cruise lines use the same company. A computer algorithm 

 determines if your bid is accepted, not NCL management.

NCL still determines the policies and goals that fuel that algorithm.

3 minutes ago, Zippeedee said:

I know about the caps that can recork champagne, but has anyone ever brought splits or bottles smaller than 750 ML? Do they charge less, or maybe $15 for multiples equivalent to 750 ML? 

I don't want to pay $15 for a one or two drink bottle, but it is most convenient. 

Their policy only lists standard bottles and magnums (1.5L)

It's $15 for a standard bottle and twice that for a magnum - I suspect you'll have to pay the $15 for a half-bottle as well.

https://www.ncl.com/ca/en/freestyle-cruise/liquor-beverages

16 minutes ago, Firepath said:

We don't have the beverage package and like glass of wine now and then. Before I throw out the idea of flying with my wine then paying $15 corkage on each bottle, I've gotta ask, how much does any average bottle cost on the ship? It doesn't seem it would be worth the trouble to bring our own, but it sounds like a lot of people do.

If you're bringing cheap wine, it's not really a money-saver.  From my experience, it's more for people who are very into their wine (eg me!) who want to bring special bottles aboard that wouldn't otherwise be available.

Was it a daily special, or part of their standard menu?

31 minutes ago, KeithJenner said:

You don't get anything like that.

 

I usually carry a corkscrew in my suitcase anyway, but if you don't have one then just take the bottle to any bar and they will open it for you. They will also give you some glasses if you need them.

 

Some people have reported being able to get a corkscrew in their room, but I've never bothered trying.

You don't even have to take the bottle to a bar - you can drop it off with the wine steward on day one, and they'll store it for you and give you tags.

You can then give the tag to your bartender or waiter, and they'll bring the wine to you, whichever bar/restaurant you're at.

13 hours ago, Redsky5292 said:

We took an entire case of wine when we cruised out of NY three years ago. We paid the $15 corkage fee per bottle and walked on with the case. My poor husband had to carry the case until our room was ready. 

In future, just take it to the MDR, and they'll gladly store it for you.

17 hours ago, tanyaewa said:

We got an ocean view once as an upgrade and ever since then I’ve had a love affair with them.  All the benefits of a balcony (almost) and the price is great.

keep the perks for a 19 day and go for the ocean view 

Yup. My partner and I always travel in Ocean views.

We love the light, and the ability to look out (and the shelf in front of the window that is wide enough for plates)

Maybe when we're richer we'll go for the balcony, but for now, we really appreciate what we can do with all the money we save by not having a balcony.

On 8/21/2019 at 6:49 AM, bluepoint said:

Was has been your experience with booking a Balcony Guarantee category?  Location, obstructed views, noise issues, etc.?  We are cruising on the Pearl out of Venice on September 9.  We booked an inside cabin as this itinerary is port-intensive and the cost for a balcony cabin was double the cost of an inside at the time of booking.  We are investigating the cost of an upgrade to a balcony cabin, but the NCL Representative told me that she only sees Balcony Guarantee cabins available.  I tried to figure out how to search this topic, but I am a rookie to cruise critic message boards and can't seem to make this work.  Thanks in advance for your responses.  

Iirc, the pearl does not have obstructed balconies, so that's one less worry.

On 8/2/2013 at 10:22 PM, mitsugirly said:

 

 

 

... That's not playa del Carmen.

Has geography changed since the 80s too? 😉

On 8/19/2019 at 3:29 PM, JandC_Cruising said:

We returned from our Escape Bermuda cruise yesterday and had a fantastic time.  

On the flight home we did some rough calculation and the Premium Plus package definitely worked out for us.

We paid the extra $243.60 per person and likely drank what would have been $500 per person worth of beverages that we either would have paid for outright, or chosen to avoid altogether.

We had no billing mistakes, which I always checked.

 

 When you were at the restaurant, were the wines that were part of the PPlus by the bottle package easily identifiable?  Or did you need to remember which ones were allowed?

I just need to say that I'm really impressed that you had the presence of mind to take a photo immediately after breaking your ankle - that's dedication!

Here's hoping you heal well and easily.

12 hours ago, saretaj said:

If anyone wants pics / info about this sailing let me know and I will post!  (Dailies / menus etc).   We so far have Cagney's, Teppanyaki and La Cucina booked for specialty dining so other specialty dining menus may not be available to us.

 

I plan to do videos of our suites (9502 and 9002), as I have not found much on these rooms.

How does ordering work at La Cucina?  I know at most of the a la carte specialty restaurants with the SDP, you get one entree - but do they count pasta as an entree?  Or are you allowed to eat in proper italian style (antipasti, pasta, main and side, salad, desert?)  Is it difficult to get them to serve the salad after the main?

1 hour ago, newmexicoNita said:

wow, we had the same pitch to purchase it when we sailed HAL and Celebrity years ago as well as visiting jewelry stores in the Caribbean. I did buy a pair of ear rings in ST Thomas but even then I kinda laughed as we have felt all the time Tanzanite might not be all as precious or as rare as told. It is the old saying Buyer be ware and this isn't just an NCL thing. I am not going so far as to say, these stones are phony, but I just have my doubts as to how rare they really are. 

I mean, if you want to talk about gemstones which aren't nearly as rare as people are led to believe, look no further than diamonds.

Imho, it's a great deal.

You can give the wine to a steward on your first day, and they'll keep it in storage for you, and then bring it to whatever restaurant/bar you want when you want it.

I found it to be great value

Two years ago when I was on the Pearl in July, they served Lobster in Le Bistro on one of the nights.

6 hours ago, zqvol said:

 

Take a refillable water bottle and fill it at the buffet, or a bar or out of your sink. There is no reason to spend money on bottled city water with an aquifina label on it.

This exactly. The water from the tap is already filtered and purified

5 minutes ago, Oakman58 said:

Hundred of pounds of clothes ruined?  I'm guessing that an exaggeration.

 OP is from Scotland.  I'm guessing they're talking money, not weight.

8 minutes ago, nhquilter1 said:

So if Oceanview, Spa and Mini-Suites are sold out, does that mean my chance for having my bid accepted (inside to spa, balcony & oceanview) is non-existent?

 

Nope.  There's a cascade effect.   Somebody will get upgraded to those Haven suites.  They'll then have their previous cabins empty.  Others will fill those, and so on, until all upgraded cabins are taken, leaving insides only.

13 hours ago, cruiseinfoseeker said:

 

I'm not arguing the point. I was quoting someone who suggested that only $$$ upgrade bid mattered.

I didn't agree with that theory before I saw that my bid was not accepted. But now I can demonstrate to that poster from experience that more variables are included.

I think you may have been misunderstanding the other point.  It wasn't that only bid amount for that new cabin matters - it was that what you paid for your old cabin doesn't.

NCL works to maximise their revenue, so they're looking at how to maximise the amount they take in from the big process as a whole, not how much they're taking from each individual traveller.