Birdie And Sue

The Sun has some inside cabins rated for 5 passengers.  I do not think I'd put five n them but they are pretty spacious for 2.

13 minutes ago, disneylover89 said:

I have 2 connecting balcony cabins.  1 cabin sleeps 4 and has 2 people in it and the other cabin sleeps 3 and has 2 people in it.  I used a NCL PCP

NCL does not have PCP, thay have PCCs!  But yes you can use them to do this!

On 12/2/2016 at 4:17 PM, DorothyB said:

I've always been leery of logging into any of my financial websites (bank, etc) while on board.

 

Am I paranoid? or am I correct in being concerned about the security of internet access?

 

Thanks!

If you have to ask this question then the answer is not secure enough to perform the task at hand.

17 hours ago, kapcruiser said:

Do they give you water bottles at great Stirrup Caye with regular drink package?

Are you asking about water bottles OR bottled water?    Actually they give you neither.

12 hours ago, CookieShip said:

What about vaping, does that follow the same rules as smoking?

I don't partake in either and can't stand the smell of cigarette smoke. I generally can't smell vape stuff, but also try to steer clear. 

Vaping IS smoking

2 hours ago, FranknBeans said:

No and its not gonna happen. Soon they will have to deal with vapors.

Vaping IS smoking

4 hours ago, maryup said:

Getting ready to start our cruise on Sunday in Rome.   What do you tip the porters who handle your luggage?

However much I feel like tipping them that day.

You al do realize that at some point sooner or later all cruise on all cruise lines will be 100% smoke free, right?  I'm not saying it is gong to eb any time soon, but it absolutely will happen at some point.  What was tried in the past is of no concern or relevance at all.  The fact is society in general is slowly but surely moving towards being smoke free.  Cruiss ships will be at that point sometime down the road.

8 minutes ago, casofilia said:

I don't know about "limited to" but I am willing to bet that you won't get very many takers and that the Roll Call will be almost dormant.

 

I think that the general feeling, and I have come across it when trying to arrange M&Gs, is that anything under 10 days does not have the sea days to arrange one and people are not really interested.  That seems especially true in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean,

On a recent Escape 7 day Caribbean we had over 250 attend the meet and greet.

5 hours ago, JMazzi said:

Hey everyone, first of all just wanted to say finding this site has been great. I found a lot of information regarding dining / beverage and travel!

 

But really I'm just looking for some little tips and tricks while aboard (or prior) to enhance the experience a little bit, and what to pack (obviously bathing suit, sunscreen, long pants for dinner) that might not be something a first time cruiser would know to bring (I saw a thread where someone mentioned straws LOL). 

 

Anyway, my girlfriend and I will be on the Norwegian Sky sailing out of Miami to the Bahamas on the 3rd of October, we are both super excited. We got the included beverage package for liquor and one free dinner (we chose Cagneys). Thanks in advance everyone! 

Remember that your cabin will not be ready to be occupied until early afternoon at best AND your luggage will probably not get deliverd until later in teh evening.  So pack a light carry on with bathing suits, medications, and necessicity items.

4 hours ago, INDIANA JOE said:

1st Haven experience coming up.

What is the dress code for the Haven restaurant/Haven area?

Any menu's available to see? TIA

I've never met TIA so I don't know what she wears, but when I am in the haven dining I wear a t-shirt and jeans.

12 hours ago, John In MD said:

I would assume such "scheduled maintenance" is something they would schedule better than a year in advance.

You know what they say about assumptions right?  Just because they had to schedule maintenance during the time frame of your cruise does not mean they knew ahead of time they were going to need to do so.

4 hours ago, Son of a son of a ... said:

NCL should have been upfront with you and told you there was a risk of cancellation due to “scheduled maintenance” during that period.  Not a lot of good news about NCL lately.

There is ALWAYS a risk of cancellation for any cruise.

I have no need for that package but I see no harm with anyone who wants to spend their money on it.

On 9/10/2019 at 4:05 PM, aero777 said:

They’re gonna have to make the gangways triple wide to accommodate all those that have priority boarding!

Huh?  Cant the line be a little bit longer?

4 hours ago, insidecabin said:

There are more than one type of GTY.

 

The sailaway *X GTY(there are rooms in these categories often just 2)

 

There is also the GTY where you pick one of the other grades and you book as GTY.

 

A cruise I am on you can currently book IX or I2 both as GTY  they have loads of I1 which is most likely what you will get.

 

There is a feature/anomaly on a lot of ships especially the NCL jewel class where the OV cabin grades start with the obstructed view and these are quite decent locations on deck 8 but all the other OV are considered better grade but often the locations are not so good lower decks. 

 

The key with the OV if you want one of the deck 8 obstructed view ones is book a cabin by number as even if they are offering them on GTY there is a chance you end up in steerage. 

As there are only 4 4 berth OX cabins they probably sell out on a holiday cruises

(There are 8 access cabins aft that may be available nearer the date. 

 

.............................................

 

 

One thing you have to be careful with MSC, even if you book a cabin by number they can move you it comes up quite a bit.

*X USED TO BE called GTY, they are now Sail Away.  GTY is now only the second situation you described.  The additional difference being that with a Sail Away, not only is thr ability to select your own cabin not an options, but you also do not get any perks.  With a GTY you also do not have the ability to pick your own cabin but you DO get the perks of the cabin level (Inside, Ocen View, etc) that you are booking.

3 hours ago, don't-use-real-name said:

True you can't designate which charges are applied to ones on board account -

What makes you think that the charges would be applied to another account or somewhere else ?

 

 

Fallacy of equivocation.  I never mentioned another account or "somewhere else".  The OBC is applied by NCL to whatever charges are on your account that are applicable to the type of OBC you have when applied (usually nightly).  Under most circumstance they are applied choronologically.  But never can you designate which charges on your account the OBC will be used to offset. 

On 1/18/2018 at 9:04 PM, don't-use-real-name said:

Gots to outsmart the NCL non-refundable system.

The night before the cruise ends while the casino

is still open - take all your non-refundable OBC

to the casino and open an account. Play a round

or two plug a coin/credit into a slot machine -

call it quits and cash out the remaining balance

with a 3% penalty.

NOW you have cash credit that is refundable

and can be used to pay the Daily Service Charge !

And the remaining balance is payable to you in

the form of cash or a check mailed to home address.

 

Thing to remember here find out the non-refundable

OBC you have open an account at the casino while

it is still open the night before the cruise ends.

 

You can also use up the non-refundable OBC buying

gifts and duty free stuff and paying any tips to hero

crew employees that have made your cruise a

memorable time.

 

Another way to use the NR OBC is to buy the Next

Cruise certificates if planning future cruises on NCL.

You will get more OBC but this is credit applied on

your account that can be used to pay the DSC.

Balanced out you could be a few dollars ahead or

owe NCL a few dollars but will have paid the DSC.

You can't "TAKE" OBC anywhere.  You make purchases of any nature to your account and each night during account reconciliation, OBC is applied to appropriate charges.  You cannot designate which charges the OBC is applied to.

On 1/18/2018 at 8:17 PM, BirdTravels said:

Yes. Only refundable OBC can be used for gratuities.

Almost true.  Only available refundable will be applied to DSC,  available nonrefundable will be applied to any gratuities you charge to your on board account.

4 hours ago, graphicguy said:

Interestingly, I have sailed using the dining package over the last 4 cruises with NCL....most recently on the Escape last June.  I've always ordered whatever I wanted.  Not once did I have any uncharge, for anything.  I've seen the Ts & Cs and I've read different experiences on CC.  But, they've never charged me for two entres or for surf and turf (with Lobster) or anything else at any venue for that matter.

 

Guess I'm lucky.

On our last cruise we ate at Cagney's and I mentioned to the server how much I loved the crab cake appetizer as she was clearing the table to bring the next course.  When she brought out that next course, she also brought me a plate with not one but TWO more crab cakes!  Between the four of us we scarfed them down quickly.   A few minutes later she took that plate away and mentioned something about much we must have enjoyed them.  On her next trip to the table she brought yet ANOTHER TWO crab cakes!  We ate every bite.  In total the four of us ate the following.

Three shrimp cocktails.
Seven crab cakes.
Two bowls of lobster bisque.
Four salads.
Four entrees.
Eight sides.
Three desserts.

No upcharge at all.

 

16 minutes ago, VegasChic2014 said:

I was reading the details about the service charges- 

 

Unlike most other ships in the cruise industry, there is no required or recommended tipping on our ships for service that is generally rendered to all Guests. While you should not feel obligated to offer a gratuity, all of our staff are encouraged to "go the extra mile," so they are permitted to accept cash gratuities for exceptional or outstanding service if you care to offer them. Also, certain staff positions (e.g., concierge, butler, youth program staff and beverage service) provide service on an individual basis to only some guests and do not benefit from the overall service charge. We encourage those Guests to acknowledge good service from these staff members with appropriate gratuities. Additionally, there is an 20% gratuity and spa service charge added for all spa and salon services, as well as an 20% gratuity and beverage service charge added for all beverage purchases and an 20% gratuity and specialty service charge added to all specialty restaurant dining and entertainment based dining.

 

 

This sounds like conflicting info. I know they charged me 20% on the drink packages, but then say the beverage service doesn't benefit from it? Am I reading this wrong? 

 

Thanks in advance for any clarification on this!

 

There is no conflict.  The "overall service charge" is the DSC.   The 20% on the dining and drink packages are gratuities.

Who gets what out of either of those items is something NO ONE other than NCL knows for sure.  Many speculate but none know.  Most well reasoned people will take NCL at its word that the DSC is as defined on the FAQ, a means to fund an incentive program to encourage crew members to work together as a team.  How NCL determines who is working as a team and who isn't is actually none of anyone's business but NCL and their employees.  Bottom line is that you are more than welcome to tip (or not tip) any crew member any amount at any time and said crew member will be appreciative.

What part of this did she not comprehend?

"What is a Guarantee?

 A Guarantee Stateroom has no cabin number assigned at the time of booking. You are guaranteed to sail in the category you have chosen, or higher.

If you have specific requirements, for example proximity to elevators or window type, a Guarantee is not recommended.

When will you know your stateroom number?

Any time after final payment has been received and up to the day of sailing.

Why pick a Guarantee?

    You have a chance of being upgraded to a higher category!
    You will never get a lower category. For example, if you choose the Oceanview Guarantee you will always get an Oceanview or higher.
    You might end up staying in a location you never considered. The deck and location of a Guarantee Stateroom can be anywhere on the ship."

11 minutes ago, roxyandbailey said:

My daughter booked online an obstructed oceanview on deck 8 on the Gem for a holiday cruise this December for her family of four. She and her husband are teachers and can only cruise during the school breaks and thus she is already paying twice the normal fare.  During the booking process it says you are getting a room (obstructed oceanview) on deck 8 and she checked no when asked if she wanted an upgrade to a porthole on deck 4. She booked a guarantee room which she thought meant any room on deck 8 obstructed oceanview.  Instead she was assigned a porthole room on deck 4. She is unable to change it to deck 8 as the rooms that hold 4 people are under a different category that are listed for sail-away. I guess NCL doesn't care about how morally wrong it is to mislead their cruise passengers to book something and than UPGRADE them to something worse. They are unwilling to un-upgrade her to an obstructed oceanview room even though they are available.

I am a platinum plus latitudes member and I am done with NCL. I am going to try MSC since they match my latitudes member and I will be a Gold member on their cruises. 

She thought wrong.  Reading the description that is clearly stated it means you will get ANY cabin ANYWHERE on teh ship of teh type you book or higher.  There is nothing immoral about this at all, nothing even slightly misleading.  Failure on her part to read what she was booking is not a reflection of NCL in any manner.

We keep it even simple.  We keep cards with us and hand one to them and have them fill in their info for us.

Never have I ever had that happen or anything even clode to it on any NCL cruise.  In fact just the opposite.  We have pretty much ordered whatever we wanted every meal and never had any extra charge.