Purple_Pig

They just did this for my Epic sailing. I'm quite happy about it. Would much rather go to Olympia.

Correct on all accounts. I did put from port in the title! They were not any more expensive than any of the private operators. Bonus is I know they are approved to drive right up to the ship. I tried many reputable operators and all were booked or were vague on if they were authorized to drive right up to the ship. Learned a long time ago that unless I know they can drive right up I do not book them. Thank you

The main vendors suggested here are already booked. I waited too long and that's entirely my fault. We don't sail for just over 2 months yet, here we are. I went to the port's website to see if they had a list of vendors and you can arrange a private driver on the site. They list their ranking with tripadvisor but I can't seem to find the reviews. I also can't find anything here when I search. I think I'm not using the right name to search. Has anyone used this service before? Thank you in advance for any opinions or information!

In all of cruising I encountered one rude staff member. It was a bartender on a Carnival cruise. Years ago but I still remember because it was so odd it stuck out.

Ok. Your entire post sounded like perhaps your attitude is the problem. That section just really highlighted your attitude and perspective for me. I have found the service on NCL to be wonderful. No issues except for the MDR which I won't use as I'm not a fan. I'm a total, self-admitted snob.

Yes, yes there is. Why do you think you can ask/tell (seems like you TELL) your room stewart when to clean your cabin??? OH MY GOSH. Who does that? I travel in suites. Full butler, concierge, stewart. I would never. Never ever. Ever. I might let them know that we don't care about cleaning if it doesn't need it and I happen to run into them but to tell them when? Do you have any idea of the type of workload they carry? Their schedules are set for a reason.

Interesting. I'm not sure I want to sail on Prima. Viva I assume is the sister ship so the same general ship design? That's a fantastic cabin though.

Thank you. That's what I thought. I was confused when the OP said they want to upgrade to a 3 bedroom IN the Haven.

So instead of using your words, sitting on a barstool, etc you just don't get a drink? This makes no sense. Why would you willingly go through life like that?

NCL isn't "MAKING" you do anything. It is a vacation. Not taxes. It isn't mandatory. If you feel the value doesn't match the price then look around and book a different vacation.

Which ship has a 3 bedroom in the Haven?

Hoping for some advice or experiences. Planning our trip and debating what to do from land before boarding and what to do as a shore excursion. We absolutely want to see Florence. Debating doing it as a shore excursion (much more convenient) or as a day trip from Rome before the cruise. A day trip would be a very long day and we're already doing Pompeii as a day trip. Can anyone share how often that port is at risk for being skipped? It is infamous like Roatan where it is maybe 50/50 you will get to dock? Or is it very likely to dock? Have no experience with the weather and sea conditions in that area of the world. Any insight would be very appreciated! TIA

My favorite place to read is on my balcony. If you can swing that, go for it.

I've done a family suite. It would be tight with 5 people though I think it technically sleeps 5. You have a queen, double murphy and a sleeper sofa. We never had the sleeper out so I'm not sure what size it is. Very spacious for 3. For 5 it would be a bit cramped because you only have 1 bathroom. Though you have lots of seating. No balcony so it is really nice for cold sailings. The wall of windows is really a nice feature. I think even with the 2 bed/2 bath 5 adults might be a bit cramped because of the seating in the living room and balcony size if you are the types to hang out in your room a lot. If you are the type to be out and about all the time I think it would work. Though, at that price, you can easily book 2 connecting cabins.

Super small purse because I rarely have pockets.

Yep, happens everytime you have to change anything. It just isn't that big of a deal though.

Bacon wrapped dates are very easy to make at home! Stuffed with nothing or goat or blue cheese.

NCL charged me $2100 for one excursion this summer but I got $50 off!!!! So it was totally free, right?

It really depends on itinerary and cabin. Sometimes NCL is cheaper, sometimes it is not. Broad stroaks of "EVERY TIME" are really just not true. Though, I will say, every time I have priced out RCL on anything it is higher priced than anyone else in any category. I just don't see the value.

I do apologize for any inconvenience this may cause but as you have over 10,000 posts your commentary will be ignored. Thank you for your understanding.

They are available many places. Williams Sonoma usually has them. Seems like maybe Sur la Table too. Anyways, higher end kitchen supply. Fun to pick out the color you want. Mine have copper blades which are super fun but I think they were a limited production years ago.

Well, a couple of us have shared our experiences from the exact cruise you are talking about. Otherwise, go to the roll call forum and the Northern Europe forum. I will say though, it did take hours upon hours of research for me to plan that trip. It is not an easy, book a few things you found on tripadvisor, vacation. I chartered a boat in Greenland and wiring that payment was a learning experience for me and my bank. The banker at my branch had never done one like that. Because no, small boat captains in Greenland apparently don't take visa! It is a unique destination.

We were on the same cruise and we both scored on the small tour. Our view was incredible. We saw so many icebergs and whales from our windows. Though we had an entire wall of windows floor to ceiling. The curtains were perfect. No issues keeping the room dark though we did have sleep masks since we were in Iceland before the cruise. Agree on the no balcony - absolutely no point in that.

I did the Greenland - Iceland cruise last summer. AMAZING. However, for Greenland it is all about the excursions. And they are not cheap nor easy to find/book. It was NCL's first time in Greenland so they were still figuring out the whole excursion thing. Lots of people had issues I think. Thankfully, we did not. We ended up with only 2 ports instead of 3 due to weather. One port I spent I think $1500? That day was an incredible highlight of the entire trip. Other port I lucked out and won the lottery for one of I think 8 or 12 spots open on the excursion I wanted. I think that port was almost $2K. NCL had booked every single boat at the port so booking on your own was impossible. If I had not gotten a spot that port would have been a complete bust. Norway is also supposed to be gorgeous. We had a brief window of time thinking we were going to be rerouted there instead of Greenland due to weather. That would have been fine - you can't control the weather! I prefered Greeland though. For Iceland - you really need some time on the land before or after the cruise to really see it.

I'm booked on NCL for Greece/Italy 2024. It was the perfect itinerary / cabin / price. I couldn't pass it up. Now, I booked it a year ago when it was first released and I've already received one huge price drop for "booking" onboard my last cruise. They were running a special (ha! I know, there's always a special) and they let me use it. But it dropped the price $3K from what I already thought was a fantastic price. I'll keep checking other options but I really doubt I'll be able to match or beat the price.