PortFees45
-
Posts
953 -
Joined
Content Type
Forums
Store
Blogs
Downloads
Events
Gallery
Posts posted by PortFees45
-
-
Everyone seems to love the Escape.
-
2
-
-
2 minutes ago, roger001 said:
It's NCL's prerogative to price up to whatever the market will bear. And apparently they are doing it. However, it's my prerogative to no longer purchase their product when to me the price no longer justifies the product offered. We've done 22 NCL cruise. The last 6 have been in suites. However, NCL suite prices have skyrocketed and we are now no longer consider them a justified product (we will miss them). Instead, our next booking is an MSC Yacht Club cruise. The price I booked it for was approximate $3500 less than an NCL comparable offering (a Haven selection). But...although I am locked into the MSC cruise at this very good price, their prices now seem to be headed waaaay up for something similar in the future. So....this MSC might very well be our last cruise. We will look for another type vacation instead. Did enjoy it though. NCL owes me nothing. Price on as high as you think you can. That's what it's all about.....corporate businesses.
Frank Del Rio is going to miss customers like you when the economy slows down and the "millennials" he has such a fetish for disappear.
-
2
-
-
6 minutes ago, FLAHAM said:
Flemings, a steakhouse chain that is good, but not top tier, has a restaurant here in Dayton, OH. Its minimum ribeye is $50 with each side at $10-$13.
The economics of a land-based steakhouse and a a cruise ship operation like Cagneys are not comparable.
-
2
-
-
Did anyone pay a la carte for specialty dining? I assumed the vast, vast majority of diners has SDP or Platinum.
-
If so any truth to the rumors that some of the forward facing decks on Deck 14 and 15 that had been previously open to all pax are not Haven access only?
-
1 hour ago, yearsofcruising said:
To my knowledge from reading others, the Platinum meals are 1 of every category ? The SDP meals as well basically unless an upcharge for certain places like BAYAMO,etc..
It's an appetizer, a main, and a dessert.
Not sure where the pasta courses at The Cooch fall for platinum coupon purposes...it's not an issue with SDP since you can get as many as you want of anything except the main entre.
-
1 hour ago, Deb and Jack said:
The limit is now $25. In April, I tried the vaal scallopini which I think was $23 or $24. It was excellent and there was no extra charges. I had previously confirmed the change in limit with the cruisenext people earlier in the cruise. Hope this helps. Debbie
The limit is now $25, but on my last two cruises since that took effect they were still giving out the old $20 coupons and not saying anything. You stay classy, NCL.
-
1
-
-
5 hours ago, DaCruiseBug said:
I honestly don't care if anyone says a studio is better then an inside room. A studio is 99 square feet and an inside room is a minimum of 135 square feet. That's a 35% difference. A studio isn't a higher or lower category...it's a unique category all on it's own since it's the only room that limits occupancy to 1 person.
NCL is just being shady and probably oversold the inside cabins so they figured they'd put the 1 person in a studio. The only way i'd ever accept a studio if I booked an inside guarantee is if they threw in 1 perk since EVERY studio category includes a perk. Otherwise it's a downgrade and not what I paid for.
Amen
-
There's got to be a recent Gem cruiser who can fill us in...
-
19 minutes ago, no port @ dfw said:
You are correct . . . not a big loss. You can see it on Google Earth's June 2018 satellite photo of the Manhattan Cruise Terminal (Gem is docked). The stair case (leading up from the deck 14 area) is partially in the shadows on the port side. It is the small rectangle section behind the larger white section where the superstructure is located. PDF attached.
Yeah I don't really care about the little freestyle platform. In fact I think the idea of making it "haven only" is kind of hilarious. My concern is whether or not they blocked off the surrounding Deck 14 area.
-
14 minutes ago, no port @ dfw said:
My recollection is there has always been a door on the small staircase to the "freestyle deck" on 15 where it leads up from deck 14. It was usually secured open, however, the would secure it when the weather was bad or they were working on the superstructure directly in front of the "freestyle deck." An updated card reader on that door would solve the problem of securing that area for Haven guests only without impacting the rest of deck 14.
It's such a tiny platform! It literally can hold maybe 5-10 people and it would be crowded with 10.
-
1 minute ago, macneill61 said:
thanks i booked a sailaway inside and just got your studio yesterday whoa is me LoL
If you don't want the studio and would prefer an inside, call and demand it.
-
26 minutes ago, TSUmom said:
I just looked at this link and yes it shows the Jewel, the Gem, the Pearl and the Jade freestyle sundecks as Haven sun decks in Sept, Oct and Nov 2020. I don't care about too much as long as they don not take 14 forward away from the rest of us.
Yeah but that's the million dollar question...how do you restrict the "freestyle" deck (more of a platform) without limiting access to Deck 14.
-
1 hour ago, WickedRed said:
I was on the Gem for the first time last month and don't recall a forward facing deck that I could access being a non-haven person. Usually got my forward facing viewing via the Spinnaker Lounge. There did seem to be some awkward ending to one deck going forward, but I'm so used to the Dawn that strange deadends seem fairly normal to me. Plus it was pretty chilly most sea days that the Spinnaker was the better way to go for that view. Could be I missed the access, but I find that unlikely. Not even sure I saw a way to Deck 15 sundeck. Again it was chilly on sea days and I tend to avoid the sun so the sundeck isn't something I look for.
To get to the forward Deck 14 sundeck you'd need to take a small staircase right between the bali bar and the entrance to the forward elevators where you go in for to access the spinnaker lounge. Did you notice doors or barriers on those staircases?
-
58 minutes ago, beerman2 said:
You can be creative by using words that rhythm with the website.
I do agree about not having an IM formate, that's why FB has become popular with group pages.
Interact with who who you want.
Exactly! Perditax if you'd like to tell me a little poem that I'm sure has nothing to do with this subject, please rhyme away!
-
5 hours ago, Wedgie23 said:
If I'm not mistaken isn't the 'freestyle' sun deck on top of the ship at 15 the nude part of the deck? And isn't Gem one of (if not the last) remaining ships to allow public nudity on one of their decks? If so I can't say it's particularly surprising to see it gone. I haven't sailed on Gem but I have been debating it so my research on the ship is not first hand and could be incorrect.
Hey I'm not saying if that's your thing theres anything wrong with that, you do you. You and anyone else can still tan in the buff on your balcony if you desire not really sure there was a need for people to do it with strangers. I think the majority of people were staying away as is for their own reasons. Zero judgement if that was your thing but if there wasn't enough demand for a nude deck it makes sense not to have one.
It is disheartening to see it go right to another Haven area though. Seems like it would have been a good place for a mini Spice/H20 style area all passengers could have enjoyed. Perhaps they didn't want to just remove the 'freestyle' placard and leave it public as it could lead to confusion with prior guests believing nudity was allowed there and either still avoiding it or still birthday suiting it not understanding the rules were changed?
LOL, no offense taken but I'm not a nude sunbather. That's not the issue. The issue is the little "freestyle sundeck" forward on Deck 15 has been reclassified a "Haven sundeck" on some updated plans for Jewel ships. The million dollar question is...how do they make that work logistically? You can ONLY access that little freestyle sundeck on deck 15 via the big spacious forward sundeck on Deck 14 (up the stairs from the bar overlooking the pool and right over Spinnaker). I don't care if they close off that little tiny platform on Deck 15...I'm concerned that access to the deck 14 area is now restricted, too.
-
28 minutes ago, TSUmom said:
I too am hoping to hear an update from recent Gem cruisers......The Jewel class have always been my favorite ships. Will I cancel my cruises, no but I will be truly disappointed if this is all true. Makes me happy I have aft balconies booked also.
I'll cancel. People often ask, "Where is you red line REALLY?"
Right here.
-
3 hours ago, perditax said:
As of about one week ago, this sailing had at least 28-30 studio cabins available. (As visible on a TA site that shows all inventory.) They all disappeared in the space of a day or two, right around the time OP posted that he’d been assigned to one.
My theory: this is a family heavy sailing, not many solos.
Therefore, moving single sailors who are in a double inside room to studios accomplishes two things: 1) fills up studios, 2), frees up double rooms that could be booked by more than one paying customer. So they bumped a bunch of GTY inside solos into the actual studios to make room for more bodies in the regular insides.
This is also probably why they don’t let you bid on upgrades from solo studios, or even pay for an upgrade to a GTY higher category. If there’s any chance that a room can contain more than one potential source of onboard spend, that’s what they want.
Also this is a good theory, but why does NCL think they can get away with this? I guess most people don't complain, or buy that nonsense about the studio somehow being an "upgrade"?
If NCL wants to do this, they need to make it much clearer (as in more clear than literally not at all) that they consider a TI a higher category than IX.
-
1 hour ago, perditax said:
As of about one week ago, this sailing had at least 28-30 studio cabins available. (As visible on a TA site that shows all inventory.) They all disappeared in the space of a day or two, right around the time OP posted that he’d been assigned to one.
My theory: this is a family heavy sailing, not many solos.
Therefore, moving single sailors who are in a double inside room to studios accomplishes two things: 1) fills up studios, 2), frees up double rooms that could be booked by more than one paying customer. So they bumped a bunch of GTY inside solos into the actual studios to make room for more bodies in the regular insides.
This is also probably why they don’t let you bid on upgrades from solo studios, or even pay for an upgrade to a GTY higher category. If there’s any chance that a room can contain more than one potential source of onboard spend, that’s what they want.
OH how I wish I could see full inventory instead of just the 15 max you see on NCL's website.
-
2 minutes ago, jmh3791 said:
Just got off the Jewel at the beginning of the month and Deck 14 forward is still a sundeck accessible by stairs to anyone. Tho in Alaska hardly anyone was using it.
Thanks for the response!
The Jewel is one of the ships with that little Deck 15 forward freestyle deck as a "Haven sundeck" - still so curious what that's all about.
-
11 minutes ago, don't-use-real-name said:
Hold the hold the:
Hold the phone, the front of the ship is off limits on the GEM now TOO?!?
It should be noted that the area in question is still mid-ship aft of the pool area and is not in the FRONT of the GEM..
There would be indoor viewing forward from the Spinnaker Lounge and Dance Floor.
Pictures LINK:
https://www.cruisedeckplans.com/DP/deckplans/pictures.php?ship=Norwegian-Gem
Browse down to Deck 15 sun deck pictures for more
That video is an area forward of the pool area so it would appear that it is above the Spinnaker Lounge
There is a PRIVATE adult zone sun deck here
Is this perhaps the one in question being taken away from the Non-Haven guests ???
Doesn't appear to have any connection with the Haven complex doesn't make sense.
The video did not show much of the area of this Private Sun Deck - I guess it would be
"Viewer Discretion Advised" LOL !
I'm not talking about the mid-ship areas on deck 15.
The "freestyle sundeck" forward on Deck 15 is now labeled as a "haven sundeck" on the plans for 2 jewel-class ships. There is no way to restrict access to that freestyle deck without restricting access to the deck 14 area around it.
-
Just now, shof515 said:
where is the video, it is not posted
Sorry, I'm so upset about my favorite ship in the fleet being ruined I forgot to post the link.
-
1
-
-
Just now, don't-use-real-name said:
On the JEWEL class ships Deck 15 mid-ship is or has been adapted converted to H2 class Haven suites
with stairway access ONLY.
Some of these ships had a Concierge Lounge formerly in that space - I did not see if there was a (public)
sun deck before that time - it could very well have been since the Haven concept is new within the recent
past few years.
The Haven concept on the JEWEL class ships is no where near the -AWAY class ships with its private
restaurant bar. I would appear that NCL is making changes on the fly seeing what works for the best or the worst !
Here's some video of that little deck 15 forward sundeck that is labeled "freestyle sundeck" on the Gem plans, but "haven sundeck" on other Jewel ships.
There's only one way to get up to that little platform...the stairs on the port side of deck 14. I doubt they put a keycard reader on that little staircase, which means Deck 14 has to be blocked off too.
Someone please tell me I'm wrong about this. The Gem was/is my favorite ship, and the only way I'd continue sailing out of NYC since I wont' set foot on the Bliss. I'm pretty upset about this.
-
1 minute ago, don't-use-real-name said:
Deck Map LINK:
https://www.cruisedeckplans.com/DP/deckplans/Norwegian-Gem
Click on Deck 15 -
The public sundeck is on the starboard side
the same for sister ship PEARL
The JADE and JEWEL both port and starboard decks are reserved for Haven guests.
The STAR and DAWN the deck 15 space is reserved for the Garden Villa guests.
These sun decks are NOT Forward but at mid-ship above Cagney's and Moderno !
Dry dock renovations in the future may change all this one way or another.
But the theme appears to be no frontal forward deck or observation areas EXCEPT on -AWAY class ships.
Mid-ship is being used exclusively for high end category cabins Havens and Villas (ship within a ship concept).
Right, I saw the deck 15 port and starboard sun decks. I'm familiar with those from past cruises, but it sounds like they've now closed off the front of Deck 14 IN ADDITION to those existing private areas.
Now look closely at that tiny forward deck 15 sundeck. It's basically a small little platform with room for like 5 lounge chairs, but it's technically part of Deck 15.
It's still listed as a "freestyle sundeck" on the Gem plans, but on the Pearl and Jewel deck plans that little deck 15 forward platform is labeled a "Haven sundeck."
There's no way to limit access to that little platform without also limiting access to the surrounding Deck 14 sundeck with the forward access.
https://www.ncl.com/cruise-ship/pearl/deck-plans
Turndown service
in Norwegian Cruise Line
Posted
Charging for turndown service? I'll be gobsmacked if that's actually true.
That said, I never liked the room steward trying to come in twice a day. Once a day is more than enough, if not once every other day. I'm not an animal.
As for the towels, I totally see why it can really add value to a cruise for families with little kids. Any adults that request them for themselves are just sad.