Av8torcrj

They will argue over anything. Clip it to your dress, hang it on your dress, glue it to your dress, tape it to your dress, tie it to your dress, staple it to your dress, crank it up your dress, retired it to your dress, better yet, or simply STICK it in your dress. 

Another post concerning the Breakaway has the haven staff moving loungers out of the pool area and adding tables to accommodate restaurant seating. Is this typical? 

8 pack, lanyards, Amazon, $8.99. 

Out of curiosity I looked at your dates on cruise dot com. Looks like lots of cabins available to me considering how close the departure is. 15 club balcony open with those numbers repeated in other categories. 

I’ve asked several times to have them replace our complimentary “champagne” or whatever it is with something nonalcoholic. They so far they have never been able to figure that out. They did have the haven butler put some tomato juice in the fridge which he promptly spilled all over the floor turning our suite into a crime scene. 

Additionally, that deceleration lane seems awfully short for a 10 story fall. I hope the engineers calculated the terminal velocity of the average corn fed American after he/she’s been pushed up to the omelet station all morning and topped it off with three ice cream cones otherwise that lobotomy someone wanted will become yet another “free at sea” perk. 

Is it possible that those aren’t water slides at all but rather a newly designed shaft to spit haven guests to the head of the disembarkation line? 

21 minutes ago, Sthrngary said:

The bookings on any cruise are usually almost compete at about 90 days out.  That is also the time when full payment is due from those that book the cruise early.  From a trend standpoint, NCL starts to slowly decrease the cost of a Haven (and other) suites the closer it gets to the cruise date.  A few cabins get sold but not that many.  Then sometimes the unforeseeable happens.

 

I was hoping for an upgrade to the Haven for my last cruise.  I was a solo.  Then a few week prior, one of NCL ships hit a sand bar.  The next few weeks were cancelled on that ship and they offered moving to the ship I was on.  Quickly all the Haven Suites were gone. Understandable of course. 

 

Do I think lots will be sold, no.  As the price goes down, some folks upgrade at retail vs. upgrade bid.  Happens all the time.  I also notice that the folks in the lowest cost Haven Suites, upgrade to the better Haven Suites putting their old room in inventory.  So you might not see it now but it will show up the last week or two prior to your cruise.  

 

I also notices there sometimes was two waves of "Bid Upgrades".  The first wave take the really high bids and the second wave happens about three days prior to sailing.  I would much prefer that NCL simple sends out a specific amount they want for an upgrade at the last minute.  That is what some other brands do and it is for me, much less stressful.

 

I know I over answered your question. I have a tendency to do that.  I hope I helped.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

I appreciate the time you took to respond politely, thoroughly, thoughtfully, sincerely and without kicking up a petty sandstorm. Perhaps I’ll look to you for additional wisdom going forward. Thanks. 

4 minutes ago, Nclgetawaymenhoney said:

I’ve been studying them since 2018, example my most recent cruise on the Joy in May, at 80 days out my notes say there were still 38 cabins available, prices for haven continued to drop and by 30 days there were less than 20 and within the last 7 days only 11 haven available that disappeared the Monday of the week of the cruise to never appear again, it’s all about supply and demand what happens on a offseason sailing is not what will happen on a Xmas/spring break cruise.  Happy sailing.

Thanks. Looks like it’s essentially on the same rails as your historic Joy in May, 38@80. They assigned my perfectly suitable mid ship GTY balcony almost 100 days out which led me to believe perhaps availability was particularly high. 

1 hour ago, Sthrngary said:

OK, drop the notion of Free At Sea.  Highlight the notion of checking inventory.  The way to do that is to act like you are booking a stateroom online.  Choose the stateroom you want to bid on and when the screen says, would you like to choose a different stateroom, click it.  You will now see the number of available cabins.  This gives you and indication of suites that could be bid on for a lower bid amount.  

The other way I get inventory is to go to cruise (dot) com.  I put my cruise in and look at each of the categories of staterooms I want.  Same notion on bidding.  

 

I hope that strategy makes sense and assist you in some way.  It has worked for me.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

I like the cruise dot com. It currently shows the following haven availability as HE: 11, H9:2, HG:6, HF:4, HC:1, HB:1, H6:7, H5:5, H2:1. In your experience would you say the haven is “selling well” for 80 days out or lagging? Sounds like you have studied these trends in the past maybe. Thanks. I full understand you likely don’t own a crystal ball, just your thoughts from experience. 

6 minutes ago, Sthrngary said:

I want to approach your question differently.  When using the "Upgrade Bid" program, the offer to you is usually a few categories above what you booked.  From a strategic standpoint, which is what I think you are asking for.  I would book the cheapest stateroom with all the "Free At Sea" perks.  This will give you the "Free at Sea" perks for any upgrade you receive.  Second, understand what happens and when it happens on upgrade bids.  The company that awards the bids is a third party vender whom specialize in this kind of program.  They rarely award a bid until just a few days prior to your cruise.  Look at the inventory for the stateroom you want online.  If low availability, make a bid a bit higher.  If high availability, make bid a little lower.  Next, realized the third party company upgrades the Haven first, those that got upgraded now have inventory open.  They pull everyone up and you will be last.  I am sharing this will you because if inventory is not available now, it will be once the upgrades start to be given. Hope that helps.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

Thanks. All inventory shows “available “ but it’s 80 days out. Haven prices have been dropping but are still nowhere near what I’m comfortable with. Free at sea (for a fee) other than maybe internet holds no value for me at platinum. We don’t drink and get some complimentary meals. Appreciate the input. 

Thanks. I don’t see the “let’s get you upgraded” option on the laptop and the invitation isn’t in messages. Maybe if I try and remember my email password and access it through that. I don’t use the laptop for email.

Anyway, COULD it be generalized that a bid of slightly greater than 2x the min bid (double the min bid) would gage as “fair or good” ? I see lots of folks suggesting they bid and succeed at min or very slightly plus. I’m willing to be somewhat aggressive but the reality is there is absolutely nothing that NCL or anyone else could possibly do for me over a 15 day period that would justify, in

my mind and haven experience, spending 16k plus. If the haven menu stays the same over the period, the value for me is diminished even further. Maybe they modify the menu on extended voyages?

Additionally, are there any booking engines outside NCL to gage occupancy? NCL is relentless with their “finish booking your cruise” emails and I’m not 100% sure they actually display all available cabins .

9 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

Rather than the recommendation that you should read over 2200 posts on the comprehensive thread,,, let's try to get to your questions. 

 

Prices continue to be driven by demand in specific markets. So long as there are people willing to pay $3000 more for a balcony, the cruise line is more than happy to keep their price point. 

 

The minimum bids will vary based on the cruise and market. Most NCL cruises are 7-nights. And that is where you would see most people's data. You're on an 8-night cruise which is less common.

 

If you are invited to bid (i.e., you are not booked through a non-participating travel agent), you will see a bidding range for both Ocean Views and Balconies. Minimum bids are normally $50ish to $75ish per person (multiple by 2) - again, may be slightly different on the 8-night. 

 

Pre-pandemic, it was more common to get near-minimum bid upgrades from inside rooms and ocean view rooms. That was because the cruise line was trying to open up the cheaper rooms to get more passengers on the ships. At this instant in time, with lighter loads, the cruise line does not have to do it,,, but still do from time to time. 

 

You have a chance to get an ocean view room or balcony at a substantially less price than the retain differences you quoted. 

 

---

 

Now, if you want to see some ridiculous bidding ranges, here's the min/max bid for Premiere and Deluxe Owner's suites on our next cruise (per person,,, so multiply the bid prices by 2). 

 

 

 

Same rooms at a mid-range GOOD bid (multiply bid prices by 2 for total cost of bid). I am definitely not willing to pay $6700 x 2 in addition to the $$$ that I have already paid for the cruise. 

 

How do I get to this particular format of the upgrade program. I can get to it on my iPhone through the app but don’t see the option or offer once logged in to my account on a laptop. The link on the iPhone doesn’t gage (colored pointer) the strength of the bid. 

On 9/9/2022 at 8:57 AM, Treasure Hunter said:

People need to think, calm down and be kinder. And teach their kids the same. 

Anyone see the segment on GMA (I think) with Journalist Steve Hartmans two young children? They are behind a movement called kindness 101. Two of the most beautiful, polite, articulate, well behaved children I’ve seen in a long time. 

We’ve fortunately only had two cruises where poorly behaved children negatively impacted our experience. Both originated out of the same port, off the mainland. Vowed never to step foot there again.... ever!
 

We did our standard exercise circuits on deck 7, promenade, on the Gem numerous times and never saw another soul. It was like a ghost ship. On the joy I had the haven courtyard, pool and hot tub to myself for hours, multiple times. We loved it.

12 minutes ago, pickle11 said:

And you took the time to type your concerns giving us something to ponder.  Waawaawaa

 

I knew it would be easy to get you out of bed. Or is it a jar? 

7 hours ago, blueslily said:

 

Yes, I am aware. I am also aware that user frequency of this source or site varies by person. For example,  my next sailing is on another line so I'm not on here as much as I am on their threads. My cruise after that one is on NCL. Plus, I take a break from the entire site at times due to the negativity posted here by some users that seem to just like to argue, prove points, point out flaws, challenge others, etc. Just unnecessary behavior. Plus, not everyone lives on CC. And not everyone knows how to use all the features here to obtain information. I dont assume the worse of  people just because they ask a question that other people already talked about. It's really not that serious. if people don't like a question or dont want to repeat themselves, they can just ignore the question. It's so simple. I cant imagine living as grumpy as some people present on here. Life is too short. Good night. 

This x10.

I guess if we are going to excoriate those who ask questions that have been brought up in the past, perhaps have no definitive answer or are too ridiculous to be thoughtfully and kindly entertained by the seasoned “advisors” here then it’s time to pull out the gallows for: Is it worth upgrading from an inside to a balcony? I have claustrophobia and I’m afraid of the dark Waawaawaa. Will my cabin be noisy? It’s right under the disco Waawaawaa. Will I get sea sick? I get dizzy in my recliner  Waawaawaaa.  We are going to Hawaii, do they speak English there? Waawaawaa.  Is the haven worth it? I’ve saved an extra $50 for this vacation Waawaawaa. What’s  the food like in the haven? Is it good? Do they have hot dogs?  Waawaawaa. Can I get lobster for breakfast in the haven and have it delivered to my suite at exactly 6:35am? Waawaawaa. Do I have to pay gratuities to the staff that busted their butts to cater to all my needs for 7 days including washing the barf out of my favorite dress after getting drunk and sea sick? Waawaawaa. Is Royal better than NCL?  I hear NCL always hits icebergs Waawaawaa. Does my cabin have an obstructed view? I see a lifeboat in the window and no ocean. Waawaawaa. How do I get from LAX to the cruise port? Do they have roads? Waawaawaa. When’s the best time to go to Alaska, January? Waawaawaa.  It was cold and rained on our excursion in Alaska and we didn’t see any whales, can I get a refund? Waawaawaa. I’ve got covid and am on a ventilator, can I embark tomorrow? Waawaawaa . Will I miss my ship if I fly in day of sailing with only 15 minutes to spare? Waawaawaa. I’ve got cabin xyz on ship abc, does it have a couch by the balcony or a bed and what’s the carpet color? Waawaawaa. Can I order caviar from an exclusive restaurant in downtown Miami and have my haven butler pick it up and spoon feed it to me while giving me a foot massage?  Waawaawaa. The crew refused to come to our cruise critic meet and greet (can’t IMAGINE why) can we get them fired? Waawaawaa. The list is endless. 

 

Hmmm, a haven suite with essentially the plumbing of a human toilet routed through the balconies serenity with screaming kids being flushed down it all day long? Yeh, Unacceptable. Kinda defeats the concept of “haven”. No way. 

Cruise lines were intentionally limiting capacity for a time secondary to covid. My interpretation of the OP’s very simple question was is Norwegian continuing to purposefully limit capacity and if so, what’s that free space margin for December. Consensus seems to be the company is selling to capacity if demand will fill the ship. As with so many posts, a simple question has been turned into an opportunity to savor the apparent endorphin release that comes with gnawing at each other’s necks which seems to happen here with regularity.  

Gem, pearl, jade, sun and dawn have definitely been my favorites. I hope these smaller ships don’t get booted from the fleet in favor of the newer offerings. Walked many a mile on promenade deck 7. 

5 minutes ago, vtgumby said:

We love the aft suites and luckily have never had soot but we’ve also done the penthouse forward and my only thought with that is to consider the cruise you are on. Our forward penthouse was for the Panama Canal and it was perfect but we usually do transatlantic’s and the people that were in the forward penthouses never used their balcony because the wind was so brisk, a couple of the women said they couldn’t even push the door open.
So just a consideration.

15 day Panama Canal therefore the bid. Thanks. Additionally, I believe most of the forward penthouses on the bliss have a side balcony under the bridge with a forward facing window. Regardless we can tolerate any briskness for the potential view through the canal and not fighting the crowds on deck. Been there done that. 

16 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

 

Just curious as to why

Nothing to do with being aft but it was an accessible room. I found the raised footings clumsy and easily tripped over. The additional awkward “space” was no bonus for us.  As for the aft location itself, there was a lot of soot from the stacks that would whirl within seeming reach at times if the wind was right. I’ve subsequently read an article that the aft portion of the ship can possibly be considered quite unhealthy.  Otherwise, I honestly didn’t enjoy watching the black filth that we were leaving behind as it settled to the ocean surface. Conversely, views could be lovely at times.  I can go either way with this observation: there was lots of engine and sea noise. It could either be soothing or an annoyance. It was a constant rumble n roar. That being said, human noise from the hallway was essentially nonexistent aside from the hicks next door that liked to drunkenly scream at the dock workers over their balcony. In the end, I personally found no significant premium in the location that would push me to pay extra for it in the future. I have a bid in for a forward facing haven penthouse in December, something I’d like to try. 

We were in an aft facing suite on the Gem a while back. There was priority boarding and special private breakfast and lunch seating as well as butler service. I’d have hard time springing for haven on a jewel class ship with no dedicated haven restaurant.The suite perks were more than adequate. At 50% capacity we felt the ship was ours. Very mixed feelings about the coveted aft balcony suite. Staff was wonderful.

Utterly exhausting. 

I had the same question because I’d gotten lip service before about the 72 hour window. I have a snapshot of an ncl chat where she says “there is no timeframe.” That being said, I was prepared to cancel 72 hours out but fortunately they canceled the cruise.