complawyer

depending on the tour, but on the most of the tours, you can expect at least a bus load of people. the ncl shore excursions, (like everything else) are designed to bring in as much revenue as possible. so smaller group tours are not economically beneficial to ncl's bottom line. as for the $50 off, while it's better than a stick in the eye, if you're booking an excursion that's a few $100 per person while it helps, it certainly doesnt lower the bottom line by much. at a great many ports, i ignore the $50 perk, and hire a cab. they're much cheaper, and if you want a small group, it's a much better way to see the sights. also, try and go onthe viva roll call.

we're currently booked on b2b cruises starting oct 17th 2024

book what you want NOW! put down the deposit, and if the price goes down you can rebook. you have until the final payment is due (usually 120 days before sailing ) to make any changes without incurring a penalty

in the past, we used crowne plaza. t has a concierge floor which gives you extra goodies, and imho is a very nice hotel

from personal experience in both barcelona, and trieste. we gave our luggage to the driver who promptly stowed them on his bus. when we arrived at the pier he unloaded our luggage which we then collected individually, and gave them to the porter on the dock. they are very close by, and will come over if you wave at them. the next time you see your luggage is in front of your cabin door, a few hrs later. one important caveat. keep important papers. cruise docs passports medicines (and some people recommend a swim suit) in a carry on, because it will be awhile before you and your main luggage are re-united.

there is an area by guest services where the person can exchange your currency to u.s. dollars as long as the amount you want isnt excessive. (there are others who wish to do the same thing) while tip is a tip, and the staff will be more than grateful, i believe most of them would prefer u.s. dollars. a suggestion, before you go, why dont you go to your bank and exchange some of your currency to dollars. i usually do the opposite, change my dollars to mostly euros. some places (a great many) in italy only want euros.

if you're looking tp book a cruise based on the quality of the shows, please look elsewhere. regardless of the quality (or lack thereof) broadway shows are broadway showS and are incomparable to anything else (except possibly the west end in london) a cruise can offer. so if you want a broadway show, instead of a cruise, book a week in new york. we saw jersey boys last year on the bliss and walked out. the acoustics were bad, the gentleman playing frankie valli was horrible. on some cruises we dont even bother to see these shows, and i have yet to be overly impressed with any singers in any lounge. if you want orange juice and pastries, get up off your tushie and get them. if youre at breakfast in the buffet, they are easily and readily available. if youre eating at one of the mdr's, ask your server and i'm sure he or she will happily comply. if youre in a haven or a suite with a butler, tell hem/her what you want, and it'll be brought to you. so i quote the old song "so what do you want for nothing? A RUBBER BISQUIT!

ok, i was just stating my observations. So, to each his own. we've been on 24 ncl cruises since 2010, and again, my only real complaint is that the hamburger buns fall apart before im done with the burger. maybe i've just been lucky, but i have really no reason to b***h about any of these cruises. again, the prices were right (at least for me) and the itineraries were amazing.

dont freak out, obviously its just a computer glitch. do you really think ncl would pass up a chance at all those extra bucks they make on shore excursions

ive looked at comparable itineraries, cabin prices, cabin sizes. and most other goodies. sorry, ncl always comes out on top. we've got a b2b 10 day cruises next oct 2024 venice to athens, athens to tel aviv, club balcony suite for slightly over $10,000. for a 20 day cruise, i think thats a great deal. i dont really care about the shows, the regular drink package suits me just fine, my wife always upgrades the wi-fi offer, and in reality, i can take or leave the $50 off shore excursions as we usually hire a cab or take an independent tour. so, i humbly disagree with your nickel/dime assessment . besides, as others have already stated, no one forced you into booking with ncl. if you feel there are better deals and offers, with other cruise lines, by all means choose something else. me, i just enjoy cruising for its own sake, and ncl does the job for me.

much better to get a mojito (lol)

(1) you get a refund, (2) unless it appears as a must see excursion, you can book it on the ship. this works (sometimes) if you are taking a longer cruise. or, since this is y our 1st time on ncl, at a great number of ports, i merely take the excursion description, hire a cab, and show the driver exactly where i want to go. much cheaper also, and there are usually a slew of cabs and tour available at every port

but it does have a specifically designated area called the haven, and their cabins are higher in price. you've just reaffirmed my prior post. does any one want to pay the extra $$$$ for a pool and courtyard (both are relatively small), as the other perks are the same. there are a number of ncl ships where the cabins are designated haven that do not have the bar and restaurant. my point is you may as well book the cabins designated as "suites" and save your self the extra $$$

we were on the jewel this past january, the main bedroom has a tub, and a separate stall shower, same with gem and star. we had i club balcony suite on the bliss in aug, and they had just a large stall shower the 2nd bedroom (significantly smaller) has only a stall shower. quoting: a rose by any other name, 2 bedroom family suites are 2 bedroom family suites, regardless of what they are called. that being said, however, some ncl ships have cabins designated as haven suites, and others called suites. the haven suites i believe are slightly bigger, and those particular vessels, while most of the perks are the same, if youre not in the "haven suite" you dont get access to the specially designated pool area, or the haven bar and dining room. fear not, however, breakfast and lunch for those in the suites still get to eat breakfast and lunch in moderno and cagney's respectively. fyi, since the cabins are almost identical, the suites are a few $1,000 less than the aptly named haven suites, so if y ou book the haven you're essentially paying extra for the private pool, bar, and restaurant, with the ability to also have dinner in the haven restaurant. while i love the haven, imho, i would rather save the bucks and pass on the pool. Dinner, drinks, i can get anywhere else on the ship

i have posted before that when it comes to "sales" i am very anal. it seems lkie they jack up the prices, then call the new prices a sale. no matter how you adjust it, ncl wins in the end. my best advice to you, (after i've taken over 20 cruises with ncl over the past 13 years) is find a cruise you want (in this case you already have) book it with the $250 down payment, and wait it out until 120 days before final payment is due. if it goes down, call and have your fare adjusted. sometimes the fare go down afterlst payment is due. if you wait that long, while you may be saving $$$ your choice of cabins may not be that desirable. tight now, we're booked on a march 2024 cruise from africa, and im looking at a b2b oct 2024. just remember it might be a little squishy for 4 people (especially adults) in a balcony cabin with only 1 bathroom. hope youre all close.

doug, im glad you responded. ncl offers a 10% military discount to current armed forces, all vets and their families, im a vietnam vet, and ws discharged over 50 years ago and my discount is currently good. by the way, it's any ncl ship, any cruise any time. hope this helps.

as quickly as you can guzzle them down, you can reorder. also depends on your capacity to hold your liquor. this has also been mentioned before. if you use the same bartender, and show some small token of appreciation (ie. tips) you may find the strength of your drink greatly enhanced dare we say "double shots"

im looking to book the ncl dawn on a back to back next oct. venice to athens/ athens to tel aviv a club balcony suite for both legs (10 days each) is slightly over $10,000, not bad for 20 days (imho) but to be fair, i do get a 10% military discount

yvrteacher ok very sorry. im going to amend my post. Amen! sister

amen! brother

we book multi city on many occasions you can fly into rome and return from athens. last year we flew into venice and returned from rome. a few years ago we booked into hong kong and back rom singapore. later this year we're flying into london for a cruise and returning from stockholm. it is really no problem. since both sites are stocked with amazing sites, i would book maybe 2 days ahead of sailing to rome, and another 2 days of sightseeing in athens. you can always find a shuttle service to transfer you from rome to citiavecchia (rome's cruiseport) . also alot of times we merely hire a cab to take us around. it's usually cheaper than the ncl shore excursions, and all the ones ive ever taken are friendly, reputable, and always get us back to the ship on time.

by the way, i dont want to be a debby downer, but we were on the bliss last aug and went to see this show, we've seen it in the theater a few times and also watched the movie. it almost follows the movie scene by scene, the acoustics were lousy, i wasnt overly impressed by the singers, and we walked out. much better show with a great WOW! factor is SIX. by the way, frankie valli he ain't!

hey lynne, the only way lawman could have possibly gotten to rome in the morning, was to take a red eye flight out the night before. we're leaving los angeles at 3:45 p.m. on a non stop flight to london, and still wont arrive at lhr until after 10 am. even if he got to rome before noon, im pretty sure he'd be wiped out and want to do nothing but take a shower and crash for a few hrs. so i agree with you 100% in reality, this is not a valid complaint

sorry this happened to you, but remember the saying "penny wise dollar foolish" prior to covid, we cruised at least 2 times per year. in 2022 we did 4 cruises, we did the panama canal this past jan and are booked on the dawn b2b july 27th through aug 15th. while i'm certainly not swimming in dough, regardless of the promo, i will "NEVER, EVER" allow ncl to book my airfare. we got a phenomenal fare business class non stop from lax to london. i dont want to get the cheapest possible fare just to save a few bucks, and be unhappy with the outcome like you are. once again, i am certainly not an ncl cheerleader, and of course like any major corporations, they are bound to get a few things wrong, but generally speaking i would call them consumer unfriendly. incidentally, while i dont know where you're flying from but i dont think any airlines offer nonstop flights to rome. that being said, it will probably be a long day for you anyway, and i'm sure the room at the hotel will still be there when you arrive. You may want to contact them just to be safe and tell them you might get there later than 7. in any event, whenever we fly out of the country, we're usually to wipedout to do anything but crash anyway. rome is just as lovely at night, and you still have 2 more days to explore. the crowds however are horrible. also, remember the departure port is at least an hour away. so, in the end, i'm sure you're both disappointed and po'd, but dont let it affect the rest of the cruise. if you're sailingthe greek isles or any where through the mediterraen the ports and scenery are magnificent and you'll still be able to have a great time.

i may be naive (although i think not) but i dont believe a hotel can do anything negative if you show up with a confirmed reservation document in hand, in the past 13 years of cruising, we've booked in an assortment or countries from athens to venice, barcelona to singapore, and a great number of hotels in between, and never once had a problem with our reservation once we arrived at the hotel. although i am a staunch believer in murphy's law, i dont think there will be a problem. we're currently booked into the marriott in london on july 26th and the sheraton in stockholm aug 15th. all with confirmed reservations firmly in hand.