Smitheroo

Oops- you are right. When I saw solo "dinner" I was thinking solo dining room. Yes, anyone can go to the meet and greets

It is my impression that solos staying in studios and the *new* solo categories (solo balconies, solo oceanview, solo inside) can use studio facilities. (if the ship has them) I'm not referring to the Solo "meet and greet" They are held any where on the ship and are for any solo traveler. The studio lounge is exclusively for studio passengers and the new category of solos. The booking info states that people who book these categories have access to the studio lounge, if the ship has one. Booking info does not say that if one person books an inside cabin. I realize that sometimes rules arent followed, even by the person in charge. Not much you can do about that. Nor would I care

yeah, well you know how that goes in the working world. People receive commendations (hero cards) who shouldnt and those who should, often dont. It doesnt hurt to submit a hero card but dont think that all who should be recognized actually are. Some people might be going around telling everyone how awesome their room steward is and never get around to filling out the card. I sure hope that Hero cards arent the only thing that NCL uses to recognize their employees. And a little extra cash is nice because you cant eat hero cards

I think your first point would depend on why she missed the ship. Bad weather, transportation problems, maybe even poor planning would probably be taken better by NCL than "I wanted to see such and such tourist attraction" I know I have read in trip insurance that "if you miss your ship costs to catch up are covered" This may mean if you miss your embarkation and not a port and it might also depend on the reason but I know I have read that.

I understood completely what you meant in your post. Unfortunately some people do not read before jumping to conclusions. I guess thats the nature of a public forum. There are no entrance requirements or tests of reading comprehension Some people did give good reasons why skipping the sea day would not be allowed, and someone without a lot of international experience may not realize. You also have to realize that with a company the size of NCL "deviations" are difficult to arrange. (and much of it is out of NCLs control and due to local jurisdictions) You can ask and perhaps even push for it but as some one pointed out you want to be sure you really have won the case. Personally, I would not think it was worth the energy to do all this just to spend one day in germany. Make a mental note to go back to explore at a later date. I do that all the time.

No, it is quite likely that the thought came to her after booking and studying the itinerary

I'm going to butt in here and say THANK YOU for assuring the OP that it was obvious she was not intending to deliberately miss the ship. I got that by reading her post once. People do not read and then jump to all kinds of erroneous conclusions about intent. It has happened to me recently and it is not fun.

My understanding is that the OP did NOT suggest she accidentally miss the ship in order to stay in the port and then catch up the day after. She was using it as an argument that if she can catch up if she accidentally misses the ship at a port why couldnt it be a scheduled "deviation" ? There are reasons why it wouldnt work but she is not suggesting that is what she should do. Read.

I think it would be hard to prove intent unless the person made an announcement on the news that he/she just jumped ship

I have read accounts of people being allowed to catch up with their ship at a later port. This would be in cases of accidentally missing the ship. Trip insurance often covers this expense.

The information I saw was that the new category is referred to as "solo" balcony, not "studio" balcony. (as well as solo oceanview and solo inside) The "studio" cabins are designed specifically for one person in a select area of the ship. That's all I was correcting. I have a studio book for April 2024 and my sister in law who is traveling with me has a solo balcony a few steps down the hall. Solo balcony etc may or may not have access to a studio lounge. That depends on if the ship has a studio lounge.

good explanation, makes sense

are you referring to the dining situation for solos on RCL or NCL? Because I'm not aware of any "solo dinner" on NCL (I am hardly an expert but do read a lot and spend a lot of my time on this forum trying to learn) It is my understanding that on those NCL ships that have studio lounges groups might form to eat together somewhere on the ship. If you dont have studio or these new solo cabins you're not supposed to use the studio lounge but others have said that isnt necessarily true. I'm also sure even if you cant get into a Studio lounge you could join up with the group en route to the dining venue.

Yes Sir!

My husband remembers this incident

I visited ships in the 1960's (I called myself a ship groupie after my 1966 Cunard sailings) but they were all transatlantic. I never visited a cruise ship which for them the port might have been part of the cruise, not the embarkation port, so there could have been food around. I dont remember food in the 1960s but then I was a teenager and food was never the first thing on my mind (I even stopped showing up at meals on our transatlantic which really concerned my mother. It got very boring sitting through all those courses) I remember getting on line at the docks and passing a large jar at the bottom of the gangplank. People threw in quarters "for the seaman's fund" you went on the ship and explored. This was NYC docks, where Manhattan Cruise terminal is now. I think HAL was down at the lower end of Manhattan, where I visited the Rotterdam and the Hamburg one visit. My interests changed (probably in the form of a male) and I stopped visiting ships. I remember one time I even took my Aunt with me and she liked it too. The NY TImes published a ship's schedule so you knew what ship would be at which dock.

thinking about it the corridors on the Encore I went down the rooms were all on one side of it. PRobably different in different areas of the ship. Most of the trays of dishes I saw on the floor were in the identations that the room came off of. Still unsightly but not as much of a hazard

I was just on the Encore on an Alaskan cruise and I agree with you In a few months I will do the same thing but on the Bliss.

I like to say its in my genes. Long line of mariners on my mother's paternal side

I agree 100%

If the cart is around and there is space I would put my dishes in that space on the cart. I think I read something that said not to put your dishes outside your door?

this type of activity at least would be supervised. (to a point, I suppose someone could pose interested in the tour and then midtour turn into a terrorist) the visitor experience I remember in the 1960's, early 70's involved getting on board (for a small donation to a jar at the foot of the gangplank, mostly quarters) and then going about the ship to see whatever interested you. In my experience there was no option for food or organized activity.

Love the names of the NCL ships. So much better (my opinion) than mouthfuls like "Anthem of the Seas".

Sorry, I was referring to additional tipping done by guests, in cash.

I'm thinking maybe some cruise lines ended visitors on board sooner than others. This incident was surely involved in the decision