lkjacobs

For what it’s worth, let me add a fresh voice to this conversation.

I’d like to take wearing tier pins to the Latitudes cocktail party off the table. The party is to recognize frequent cruisers and provide a forum for them to share experiences and knowledge. Contrary to what many attendees believe, it’s not just for a free drink and cheese cubes. In that environment, the pins are no different than raising your hands and applauding when each tier is pointed out by many CruiseNext managers.

Outside of the party, many senior Latitudes members wear their pins as an open invitation to fellow passengers to ask them questions, knowing that they have a depth of NCL cruising knowledge. Back when I was Diamond, I wore that pin on occasion, and several guests opened dialogues in the theater before a show, on a bus to an excursion or in a restaurant, comfortable asking another passenger things that would be uncomfortable or inappropriate to broach with the crew. I welcomed those exchanges and was glad to help.

I haven’t yet received my Ambassador pin, but likely will wear it sometimes for the same reason. It won’t be to show off, but after turning over many tens of thousands of dollars to Norwegian, I’d have absolutely no issue with someone else having that motive.

45 minutes ago, CILCIANRQTS said:

Officers encounter 100k to 250k people per year!!
They won’t remember you, so why try so hard to keep track of them??
All will gladly respond “I remember you!” after you remind them of the cruise you were on, but they don’t…

I know more NCL officers than I can count, many of whom are friends - much more than acquaintances. When I get on a ship that I frequent, not only do the officers know me by name, but so do many restaurant hostesses and waiters. 
 

Sure, if you cruise once every few years, nobody will know you, nor will they if you make no effort to interact with them; they’re not mind readers. 
 

My bigger question is this: if you feel that keeping track of key crew members is so pointless, why are you even reading this board, let alone throwing insults at those of us who have relationships you never will?

On 4/5/2023 at 8:57 PM, jadair75 said:

Now that you have sailed on the Star, do you have the list of officers?

I can’t tell; was this question directed to me? Obviously, I can’t have sailed recently enough on all 16 NCL ships I’ve boarded to provide relevant lists for all of them. I was on the Star in November 2017, so any information I have would be useless today. 

Here’s the officer screen on the Sky as of today:

Officers on the NCL Sky as of today

13 minutes ago, EllieinNJ said:

Let me see if I get this right.  If we have the FAS 300 minutes on a 7 day cruise and want to upgrade on embarkation day it will cost $110.  If we wait until day 2 it will only cost $80?  Do they add any cost if you use any of the free minutes on day 1?

Not quite. You and the second person in the cabin each have a 150 minute FAS plan. They’re separate plans. Neither, one or both may be upgraded to the Unlimited Basic package each for the prices you note. Most Internet Managers don’t care if minutes have been used before upgrading, though they need to manually process those upgrades (you can do it yourself if not redeemed), though I can’t speak for every one of them. 

36 minutes ago, bundtkate said:

Oh, for sure. Definitely did not mean to imply anything by that at all. It was all definitely good advice regardless and I don't expect anyone to read minds.

 

 Now, this is interesting. You're right, but I pulled that cost from My NCL, not math, so it seems they are charging a bit less per day there. Or maybe still giving me some credit for my minutes? My NCL says $294 for the regular unlimited so looks like past knowledge held true there. I wonder why the difference? 🤔

 

A valid point about the flight. I can totally do without the rest of that (and most social media, for that matter), but we're flying home on Southwest so checking in right when it opens is kind of important for getting seats together. We're traveling with a group, so I guess I'll see if anyone else caves and gets the full package. If not, well, I guess that could be worth the extra ~$125.

Looks like they’re offering the social media for only $12.50 per day. Again, check with the Internet Manager onboard. Also ask if there’s a special package available only on the last day that accesses all non-streaming sites. That’s specifically for flight check-ins. I’ve seen things like 30 minutes for 20 bucks. 

2 hours ago, bundtkate said:

An excellent point, but on a 14-day itinerary, the math is not in my favor assuming no special considerations for longer itineraries. $30 per day would be $420 - $125 (I do have 250 promo minutes) = $295 while the social media package is a cool $175. I'll defs keep that math in mind for my next 7-day, though! And thanks for the info about what's included. Sounds like it will do the trick. 🙂

I obviously made an assumption about cruise length, not knowing that you’re on a 14-day itinerary. Be sure to check with the Internet Manager before making a decision to assure that the daily rates don’t change on such a long cruise. You can also view the upgrade costs when you log into your My NCL account and look at the Summary page. 
 

By the way, I think that 14 x 15 = $210 rather than $175. 
 

If you select the Social Media plan, realize that it will block everything else. You can’t Google, check any emails, access banking apps or even check in for your flight home. 

9 hours ago, bundtkate said:

Does the social media package generally support all chat apps that work over WiFi? I know the list in the description on NCL's site isn't meant to be exhaustive, but I want to make sure my pet sitter can reach me in case of emergency. My 250 free minutes won't last long if I need to always be logged in, but I also don't see myself actively using the WiFi much so it would be great if the social media package would do the trick. 🤞

To specifically answer your question, the Unlimited Social Media package supports just about every app that anyone typically would put in that category, except for TikTok, which is considered to be streaming. It certainly includes FB, Twitter, Instagram and WhatsApp. Stand-alone video conferencing apps, other than FaceTime, (Zoom, Duo, Teams, etc.) require the Premium Unlimited package, though similar functions are supported in all packages if they’re within social media apps. 
 

However… if you have promotional minutes (250 or, more likely, 150) do the math. You’ll probably end up better off upgrading it to a Basic Unlimited plan and taking the credit for your promo. On a 7-day cruise, for example, upgrading on embarkation day would cost (7 x 30) = $210 minus $100 for 150 minutes or $125 for 250 minutes. The USM plan would be (7 x 15) = $105. If you can wait until Day 2, it gets even better, since the BU drops by $30 but the USM only goes down $15. 

32 minutes ago, fstuff1 said:

 

the trade-in requires you buying at least 5 days worth of service according to the internet mgr i spoke to earlier this year.

 

so you can't upgrade to unlimited 3 days before the cruise is over for free. :(

 

thus upgrade price last 5 days of cruise:

($30 x 5) -100 for 150min trade in = $50 or $10/day

 

Confirm with internet mgr on day 2 if you're going to follow my plan!

The upgrade parameters typically relate to cruise length. The standard for 7-day itineraries is to charge one day less on Day 2 and then either to remove upgrade options completely or lock the cost at the Day 2 price. I’ve seen the occasional manager who does something different, but most follow one of those two paths. 
 

On very short itineraries, upgrading may only be allowed on embarkation day. 
 

For the 10-day cruise being questioned, I’d strongly recommend touching base with the Internet Manager to clarify his/her plan. Though it may be extended to Day 3, I’d be more than shocked if upgrading to a 5-day price was allowed. It’s not just a matter of revenue; such a policy would overstress available bandwidth with lots of passengers uploading photos and videos saved over all the previous days. 

7 hours ago, robin13 said:

I'm going on a 10-day British Isles cruise in three weeks.  I received 150 free minutes but I want to upgrade to the Unlimited Wi-Fi.  It says the price is $199.  If I go to the internet cafe when I board how much will they credit me for not using the free 150 minutes?  Also, I swear in the past the Social Media package included web browsing and looking at emails.  Now it is just for social media and nothing else.  Did they change that since my last cruise last September? 

The price for Basic Unlimited internet is (rounding off) $30 per day. That’s $300 for a 10-day cruise. You’ll get a $100 credit against that cost for your 150 minute promotion. That’s where the price you see comes from. It’s the same in advance or onboard on embarkation day. On Day 2, the cost drops by one day ($30). On a 10-day itinerary, the Internet Manager may extend the upgrade window to 3 days, but that should be confirmed before assuming anything. 
 

When you redeem the promo minutes onboard, a pop-up window will offer you the upgrades (Basic and Premium unlimited). You don’t need to speak with anyone to avail yourself of the offer and receive the $100 credit (read the small print under the prices to verify the credit). 
 

The Unlimited Social Media plan is half the price of the Basic Unlimited, so it never included what’s the heart of that plan. Otherwise, there’d be no sense offering both. By the way, there’s no upgrade credit for the USM package. 
 

All of this, and much more, is included in my earlier posts on this board. 

19 hours ago, Heronymous said:

Great, that would be fabulous! Thank you so much, enjoy the cruise!  We’ll be on for the 10 day on 9/12 and want to see if there’s anyone we know on it from our last Getaway cruise.

thanks again

Getaway senior hotel officers as of today. Plamenko and Bon will leave for vacay on August 20. 
 

10 hours ago, Heronymous said:

Can anyone post the current officers that are on the Getaway?

Thanks!

I’m getting onboard Saturday for 2 weeks. I’ll post information after then. 

Just taken moments ago on the Sky...

58 minutes ago, mking8288 said:

Nowadays, whether you have a package or not, and regardless of which one, free or otherwise - you connect to ship's correct WiFi onboard (there are several, some are hidden ones - SSiD) - it will prompt you for specific info unique & should not be known to you - verified or validated, it will auto-assigned userID, etc.  On that basis, you login and logout - especially if you are using more than 1 device, sharing or using among multiple devices and/or users. 

 

And, you do not get a reduced or discounted upgrade cost total if you wait until Day 2, Day 3 or Day 4 - as prorated like before - that is no longer valid or offered/available - it is a flat rate (no Latitudes discount combinable or stacked, either - changed from before / years ago as in pre-Covid)  

 

This is true on the Getaway and the Joy, once onboard at Day 1 and get a chance, I check & proceed to do the one person, one device-at-a-time upgrade & trade-up, and go that to offset those non-refundable OBC associated with the account. 

Sorry, but that’s not completely accurate. 
 

Once you log in on each device, using your last name and birthdate, it will remember your credentials. When “login.com” (without quotes) is again typed in the browser’s address bar, you’ll get the screen showing remaining minutes and a “Go Online” button. Tapping that button will put you on the internet if it was the last device used, or will offer a button to disconnect the other device if not. 
 

Except for short itineraries, upgrades from Free-at-Sea minutes to an unlimited plan are available on Days 1 and 2. Waiting for Day 2 reduces the upgrade cost by one day, though the credit for your FAS package is the same. The Internet Manager may choose to extend the upgrade window, particularly on cruises longer than 7 days, but that’s at his/her discretion. 
 

A Latitudes discount is available for the full purchase of a basic or premium unlimited package for Platinum members or above. It cannot be applied to upgrades nor the unlimited social media plan. 
 

Except when grandfathered for old reservations, free Latitudes minutes no longer are offered. If your booking was made long ago, those minutes can be added to the FAS minutes if the reservation wasn’t a Sail-Away rate. 
 

You are correct that internet purchases made aboard, including upgrades, can be debited against non-refundable OBC. 

12 minutes ago, rockfsh said:

How do you get your username and password if you have a package?

There’s no username or password. You enter your last name and birthdate. A pop up will display available options, such as free or prepaid packages, if any, or what can be purchased if not. 
 

Tap “Redeem” for your package. If available when redeemed, another pop up will offer upgrade options. Read it carefully, since it may present a credit for your free package. Either select the upgrade or scroll to the bottom to keep your current plan. If you’re eligible, the upgrade will only be presented this one time. Like just about everything aboard, charges will be billed to your cabin, so be sure to have a credit card on record. 

NCL Joy hotel senior officers as of my disembarkation on April 23, 2022:

I’ve used the Inspire antigen test once already and have another tomorrow. It’s very simple and efficient, other than the 10 minutes of boredom waiting for the result and staring at the proctor. 
 

Technically, as well as financially, the antigen test is a smarter option for vaccinated passengers. A PCR test can show positive results for infections up to 10 weeks or more ago. The accuracy of the antigen has improved from their early days and they’re better at showing the current state of health. 
 

Hopefully, NCL will recognize sooner than later that it’s over, and end all of this COVID foolishness. I make that a prominent issue on every post-cruise survey. 

So much confusion. Let me summarize the issues:

• All Cruise Norwegian app functions are free except for the inter-device communications (I’ll clarify that below). It’s available for both Android and iOS. 
• Install the app on all of your devices before boarding. It’s a PITA to download at sea. 
• Voice and text communication to others on the ship is optional through the app and available once you’re aboard for $9.95 per device regardless of cruise length. Usage is unlimited, as are the number of contacts that may be added to the contact list. Apple and Android devices may use this feature interchangeably. It’s a bit confusing to set up, but easy to use. Stop by the Internet Cafe for help getting it going.
• The internet is not used for the app. There’s no need to log in or use minutes. BTW, though there’s an internet link in the app, don’t use it. Log in and out directly through your browser. 
• If the $9.95 option isn’t working, check with the Internet Cafe to assure you’re configured correctly. If the app server isn’t functioning properly, you can get a refund at Guest Services.
• Yes, iMessage will function without using minutes as long as devices on both ends are Apple with iMessage turned on and configured so that messages have blue backgrounds. Despite the color, green doesn’t go. The device must be connected to the ship’s network, but you don’t need to log in to the internet. 
• Unless both people have separate unlimited internet plans, using other texting methods to communicate with others aboard is clumsy at best, since only one can be online at a time, since most plans are shared and/or have limited minutes of use. 
• Don’t be alarmed that you’re wasting minutes if you’re receiving notifications from any number of sources while you’re logged out. Many will swoop down from the top of your screen whenever you’re on the ship network, though you can’t read more than the short message in the notification nor respond to them without logging in. 
• Internet plans generally cover an unlimited number of devices, limited to one online at a time. Unlimited plans for more than one concurrent device are available from the Internet Manager if needed. 
• The only differences between the basic and premium unlimited plans are the price and the latter’s support of streaming services (Netflix, YouTube, Spotify, Pandora, etc.) and VPN. There is no speed difference. 
• The Social Media Unlimited Plan strictly supports only those sites and apps. No Google, no email, no banking or browsing. 
• Many devices will display a “No Internet Connection” message in the settings after connecting to the ship’s network. Ignore it as long as the network is attached (look for the arced WiFi icon usually showing at the top of the screen). 
  

Whew, I’m exhausted. Hope this information helps clarify things. 

3 hours ago, blueskadoo said:

New to ncl and hoping to gain a little more insight on the vpn availability. My work requires me to connect through vpn and we use WebEx Meetings with video and audio. I would have to be able to assure my work I would have vpn connection before I left. I would be teaching classes using video and audio, and receiving it as well from participants. If the internet manager is controlling inventory on the ship, how do you guarantee that you’ll get it? Also, anybody used/hosted from the ship using WebEx successfully? This could be a game changer…I’ve not found any other lines even giving a glimmer of hope for vpn! 

As noted above, the only NCL internet plan that supports VPN is the Premium Unlimited package. All other plans will prevent all connections if VPN is active. 
 

If it’s critical, I’d suggest upgrading to or purchasing that plan before leaving home. If the Internet Manager needs to block purchases and upgrades onboard, you’ll already have it and should be OK. I don’t remember seeing anyone using WebEx specifically, but other similar services seem to work, though you may get a hiccup here and there (but that happens on a high-speed home or work connection, too). 

22 hours ago, fstuff1 said:

 

Thx.

Was wondering if I could do the trade in on day5 morning so that it becomes free unlimited for 3 days.

Guess they thought about that already. 😮

Yes, they thought of that. As noted in posts above, upgrades on 7-day cruises are available only on the first two days. 

3 hours ago, lisa928 said:

With the Latitudes rewards I have a 15% internet discount for Platinum.  As part of my cruise promo, I received a 250-minute package.  My upcoming 14-day cruise shows an Unlimited Wi-Fi option for $250.  Can I apply the Latitudes discount and then get a credit for the 250-minute package?  Can it be done in advance?

The Latitudes discount is supposed to be for full purchases of a Basic or Premium unlimited plan. It’s not intended to be applicable to upgrades. 

3 hours ago, screenname2004 said:

per the person I talked to at the internet cafe ,the 150 minutes is for the whole cabin and not per person. Since we have 4 port calls that we can use our phone part of the day, we didn't upgrade and see if the 150 is per person or per cabin. In our invoice, it shows it it per person.

Obviously, I have no idea with whom you spoke, but the 150 minute FAS allocation is individually for the first two cabin occupants who redeem it. 

5 hours ago, ucmino said:

I know I need the premium wifi for a school course.  I believe I will require Teams or Zoom.  Would it be best to upgrade to the premium wifi prior to boarding or do it onboard? Currently guests 1&2 have 150 minutes.

Zoom works with standard plans. Not positive about Teams, but expect it also would not require Premium. Plans other than Premium (unlimited or minutes) typically block VPN, YouTube, Netflix (and other streaming services like Peacock +, CBS All Access, etc.), streaming music sites like Pandora and Spotify, and oddly the fantasy football site operated by CBS. 
 

Within social media apps, like WhatsApp and Facebook, as well as FaceTime and Google Duo, what appears to be streaming (phone calls and video chatting) does not require a Premium plan. 

4 hours ago, screenname2004 said:

I am on the Bliss this week. The upgrade price for unlimited wifi for day 1 ( day of broading) and day 2 is $110. No upgrade is offered after day 2.

Upgrades are actually more complicated than that. The following is based on a typical 7-day cruise. Shorter and longer cruises may vary. 
 

The Basic Unlimited plan is (rounding off) $30 per day, or $210 for 7 days and $180 on Day 2. If offered (depending on bandwidth availability), the Premium Unlimited plan is $10 more per day. As noted correctly, upgrades should only be available on Days 1 and 2. 
 

If your Free-at-Sea package includes 150 minutes (more recent bookings), then a $100 credit against the upgrade price is available.  Older bookings may be grandfathered with 250 minutes; those get a $125 credit toward upgrades. 
 

So, the example quoted above is correct for a passenger with a 150 minute plan upgrading on Day 1 ($210 - $100 credit = $110). 
 

To complicate things further, the 150 minute plan grants that allocation individually to the first 2 occupants of the cabin; each may choose to upgrade or not. The 250 minute plan is shared among all cabin occupants, so it’s subject to a single upgrade. 
 

As with the original minutes plans, associated upgrades support as many devices as desired, but only one may be online at a time.