hallux

If it's like the similar cabin 14292 (based on the deck plans), which I stayed in during my March cruise, no portion of the angle.

As long as the person doing the booking has at least one "available" FAS meal they can book one of the cover-charge venues for as many people as they want. If their FAS meals have already been accounted for in the system by another booking they can't book without being charged even if they intend to use a FAS meal there and pay for an a-la-carte.

What's interesting about all this is that picking your own room isn't actually an option in all cases. For example - if I pick a balcony for the Escape cruise on March 18 the regular balcony selection is guarantee only, but if I pick the Joy cruise from Miami on March 11 I can select an actual stateroom. This is just looking at the NCL site, I suppose booking through a TA may unlock the option to pick a room yourself. On the Joy cruise there IS a ~$50 up-charge to select a different room based on location and deck that you pick. Even more interesting - when I booked a Studio on that same Escape cruise I WAS able to pick my cabin in that category.

Correct, except if you're a party of 3, there are no rooms available that will accommodate your party and there is a party of two in a room that will sleep 3 and there's a room for two available.

I'm going to say no based on the first post...

I know with the Android version you can allow the app to run in the background (I haven't been because I'm not on a cruise), I'm wondering if I allow that if it would give me a notification of a new message. I'm sailing totally solo in March so I won't be using the feature to be able to test the theory.

There may be ship-to-ship differences, but some have reported iMessage working without an internet plan. With an internet plan WiFi texting and calling should work IF you've set it up prior to leaving home. The least-expensive method is for one member of each couple to get the messaging feature in the NCL app. That is $10 per person and does not require that you pay for an internet plan. It may not be the easiest to use, though.

There are two different experiences at the space center. There's the visitor's center, which has the shows, Atlantis, the rocket garden, etc. and is basically a self-guided experience. Then there's the tour that takes you to the pads and other buildings where the NASA work was done. This is the latter. I did the former on my trip in 2018, it took 3 hours to get to KSC as it was during a popular spring break week for grade schools AND there was a SpaceX launch. This is the description of the tour in question (which can't happen if a launch ends up scheduled for that day, and there are several SpaceX launches and a ULA launch projected for March 2023 so we may lose it anyway) - The Kennedy Space Center provides a day of discovery for the entire family as you experience the exciting past, present and future of America’s space program. Your tour begins with a short ride to Kennedy Space Center, where upon arrival, you can participate in the Shuttle Launch Experience which replicates the sights, sounds and feelings of a shuttle launch and orbiting Earth aboard a Space Shuttle. Guest crew members strap in and go vertical for launch in a one-of-a-kind motion-based simulator, the only realistic simulation of a launch ever created. The five-minute experience sequence culminates with a breathtaking view of Earth from space. You’ll then board an exclusive coach for a tour of NASA’s restricted areas. Ride out to the Space Shuttle launch pads, closer than other guests are allowed and see the vehicle assembly building and visit the Apollo/Saturn V Center. Here you’ll relive the launch of the massive Saturn V rocket and enjoy a front-row seat as man lands on the moon. Upon conclusion of your personal tour of Kennedy Space Center, you’ll be transported by motorcoach to the Orlando International Airport.

Based on their other thread on this (I guess one wasn't good enough?) - the Escape.

Accessing the app does not require paying for internet access. Once you connect to the ship's WiFi the app goes into a different mode where it's connected to the on-board server.

I've been contemplating this excursion myself, for my Escape cruise in March. The description says you should have a flight no earlier than 6 PM so I'm guessing it gets to the airport around 3:30 or 4 PM, possibly as early as 3 PM. Here is the need to know portion (you should see this in your cruise planner also) - It is recommended to book this excursion AFTER you have your flight information in order to avoid cancellation. Tour begins approximate 1 hour after ships’ arrival with a duration of about 6 hours. Suggested flight departure should begin no sooner than 3 hours after tour completion. This tour is only for guests with domestic or international flights departing after 6:00 pm from Orlando International Airport. Guests are responsible for ensuring their debark tours are compatible with their departure flight times. Guests have the option to book their flights through our Premium Air Department to ensure that flight departure times do not interfere with debark tours. Guests who go ashore do so with the understanding that they will be mixing with members of the general public.

I thought this thread had died...

No "reportedly" about the NCL app. The NCL app works off a server on the ship, it does not need external internet access so it does not need you to be logged in and using minutes to use it. Yup, I said that -

My return flight for my next cruise, if I book the flights today, is looking to be $173 for a direct flight...

You didn't quote me...

The minutes are used when you log in through the login.com website, usage stops when you log out using the logout.com website. It's not an 'on demand' style where if the phone needs it it will shave off a chunk of time. However long it takes you to login, send the message and log out is how much time each message would use. That said - there have been scattered reports of iMessage working without being logged in for internet access. This may be ship-dependent. Using the NCL app does not require internet access once on board. If one person from each couple wants to spend the $10 for the NCL app messaging that's also an option.

To be fair - the OP wasn't really asking about port calls, they were asking about on-board for which the statement you bolded is certainly accurate. It's certainly advisable to carry government-issued photo ID when going ashore.

@lolomaz26 nobody really has answers that are Viva-specific as the ship has yet to sail. I would suggest looking at Prima threads (in the Norwegian forum list there's a drop-down to search for topics by ship, select Prima) for a general idea. From the sounds of it the following items are extra-cost - go-karts, darts, mini golf, Vibe Beach club. The ship likely will not have an MDR named "Manhattan", it will probably be Hudsons as it is named that on the Prima. Nope, nobody's taken shore excursions with NCL, everyone does private excursions (yes, sarcasm). Your entire post is one run-on sentence, punctuation will help distinguish one thought from another. Some of your questions are general NCL questions, you might be better off starting your own thread (if you haven't already) rather than lumping in with the discussion on the ship build.

You also have to be sure to set up WiFi calling before leaving home.

There isn't a lobster night, hasn't been for years.

This is my daily service provider. I've had no trouble using it in any cruise destination so far, but I didn't have them for my 2014 cruise to Bermuda...

If I can't, the Upgrade Advantage email is lying to me -

Not so much the case on NCL. The ships with Studio cabins have dozens of them (Bliss has 86! Encore and Escape are similar design so probably a similar number), it's not difficult to get those except on POA where there are only FOUR. Making the decision does require a little research. For my October 2019 cruise on the Bliss I had a TA work the numbers for me and even with a full solo supplement the reduced airfare perk allowed me to sail in a balcony for only $60 more than a Studio would have cost me with self-booked flights.

Except for the sea days getting to the first port and back from the last port. Same problem as the cruises leaving NY and going South - need to be out far enough to open the casino and shops.

This applies to all cruise lines, actually, not just Royal. As said by others - the cruise line issues your room key, similar to a hotel, which is your ID and charge card for everything while on-board. You definitely want your government-issued ID for going ashore, but you don't need your passport when getting off the ship at a port-call unless you're told you do.