coastcat

33 minutes ago, SeaShark said:

It used to be that the biggest contributor to onboard revenue was alcoholic beverage sales.

 

Since FDR, drinks, specialty dining, internet, shore excursions, etc. are bundled and "included" with your booking. So onboard spending on alcoholic beverages should have dropped like a rock.

 

With all of the things people don't have to pay for onboard...given the freebies...what exactly are people spending so much more money on onboard to cause these increases? Guests who pre-plan spend double onboard over what other guests spend? On what? It would seem that the more you pre-pay, the less you should need to spend onboard.

Lots of upselling!

You have the Premium Beverage Package? Well, wouldn't you like to upgrade to Premium Plus to get higher-end selections? Oh, then what about purchasing our new unlimited Starbucks package and a case of bottled water? Our specialty restaurants are so good, it's hard to choose just two, so why not upgrade your dining package? Need more wifi time or are tired of logging in/out when switching between devices? Why not buy additional logins or unlimited time? Oh dear, you're right, Netflix is blocked. Did you know we have an unlimited streaming package as well?

Add in the Thermal Suite and Vibe passes, whatever cut they take from Starbucks sales and shore excursions, lap fees for the always-booked go-karts, the $10 sale for $0.50 items... 

It's not April 1, so... it's real? Oh, this is fabulous news. Is it too much to hope that this may eventually include Coke Freestyle machines like on RCI?

6 minutes ago, Travelling2Some said:

Here's a weird question.  I know NCL won't let you bring your own sodas aboard but what exactly is the rule?  Is it about no beverages or no liquids?  I would like to bring a bottle of the salad dressing I normally use.  Is that going to be an issue?  It will be hilarious if I have to smuggle salad dressing in a shampoo bottle, lol.

That's fine! They're looking for booze, not ranch.

Adding to the above… during normal breakfast hours, pastries will be available. The rest of the day, you’ll have a small selection of baked goods.

IIRC, the Escape Studio Lounge doesn’t have the (limited hours) staffed bar found on the older ships, but you can purchase glasses of wine from a dispenser. This is not covered by any drink package so unless you really need a Chardonnay at 4am, stick with the regular bar service!

10 hours ago, Shadwick said:

We will be cruising on the Norwegian Joy and would like to stay at a hotel the night before the cruise...does anyone have a good suggestion?

 

Thank you in advance.

 

Diana

This question comes up frequently on the West Coast Departures forum: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/315-west-coast-departures/

The standard choices close to port are the Crowne Plaza Los Angeles Harbor and DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel San Pedro - Port of Los Angeles. Both offer a shuttle to the San Pedro port. The forum also has frequent discussions of the best way to get from the airports to the hotels.

3 minutes ago, prmssk said:

Has anyone who is sailing in the next couple months been able to reserve shows?  I’m 125 days out in a Club Class Balcony and thought I would be able to start making reservations today but the app says “Reservations not offered” for things like the The Donna Summer Musical. 
 

Also, many of the restaurants I thought were specialty dining like Le Bistro, Los Lobos, etc. are showing complimentary in the app. Does anyone have a good list of which restaurants are included vs specialty dining?

 

We haven’t been on NCL for a lot of years so not sure how this all normally works. 

It’s a bit confusing now but hey, it’s a new ship and new ship class.

I’m 48 days out and here’s what I can & cannot book on the app:

Shows: no

Vibe Beach Club pass: yes (cabana too)

Prima Theater: it’s showing the same cost as Vibe, which is an error

Specialty restaurants: yes except Nama Sushi

Thermal Suite pass: yes

Spa treatments: no

The specialty restaurants had been showing as complimentary previously but now they’re showing as $0.00 in the app. Sadly that’s inaccurate. Onda, Palomar, Cagney’s, Le Bistro, Los Lobos, Food Republic, and Hatsuki are specialty. I’m pretty sure Nama Sushi is as well. Indulge Food Hall appears to be complimentary, although that might not apply to Coco’s? (that’s an extra-cost dessert venue on other ships) Other included dining is the Surfside Cafe (buffet), The Local,  and the two main dining rooms, plus The Haven restaurant for Haven guests. Did I miss anything?

6 hours ago, Viking2000 said:

I know the Bliss has a "Virtual Window" in the Studio cabins.  Has Epic done anything like that?  Or alternatively, is there a channel on the flat TV in the room with the view from the Captain's Deck running on it, which would be another outside view?

Epic was the first ship with a Studio area and features a window to the corridor. It wasn't until Bliss/Encore that NCL figured out that a virtual exterior window made sense (and that mood lighting didn't). As hallux noted, you can always set the TV on the BridgeCam channel to stay in tune with natural light cycles. 

5 hours ago, bazan said:

oh good to know... i guess in a way this route may be better for those of us who do not need the "3 a day" coffee fix to break even. And still able to accumulate starbucks stars is a plus. i am pretty sure while the package is unlimited starbucks but you cannot accumulate stars... and 3 starbucks a day for each of 2 persons  for everyday is many caffeine... lol. i wonder if this is for every ship... we will be on the Joy

That's a drawback to buying the Starbucks package; no stars earned. Although I wonder... you used to be able to scan your card to earn points and then use a different form of payment.

I've lost track of which NCL ships now have a full licensed Starbucks onboard. The Joy definitely has one - in fact, it has two. There's one by Guest Services on deck 6 and a smaller version in the Observation Lounge. For both locations, you're conveniently next to a bar in case you want that shot of Bailey's in your coffee.

43 minutes ago, bundtkate said:

 I wonder if the Starbucks on RCI ships are the same?

Yup. I only visited the Starbucks on Navigator once, though, since the Refreshment package covered my espresso habit nicely.

1. This question might get more responses if you posted it to the general questions forum here: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/69-ask-a-cruise-question/
2. Before you spend any more time researching, call NCL and ask if this type of electrical device would even be allowed onboard!
3. Do you really want to take up that much suitcase space?

Of the options I found online, you've got a choice of non-collapsible ones which are big & heavy (the one linked above is 2' x 2' x 1' and weighs 10 pounds) and collapsible ones which are smaller but only capable of washing things like underwear and maybe t-shirts (1' x 1' x 4", but still about 7 pounds). 

You might be allowed to bring one that's purely a cold water washer. But without a dryer option, you might as well just wash clothes in the sink.

I pack a little spray bottle of Febreze to freshen up things like sweaters and jeans, and wash undergarments/t-shirts in the sink. 

7 hours ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

Are you implying that you're not a fan of RCI's Dynamic Pricing policy?

At least it means things can get cheaper if you catch a sale! I bought the Refreshment package for my first RCI cruise last December for $20/day during one of their sales. 
 

I’ve tried RCI once and although I prefer NCL overall, when it comes to drink package options RCI is vastly better. 
 

For my next NCL cruise (12 day transatlantic) I’ve got the new Starbucks package as well as the standard PBP. Curious to discover which I’ll use more, and I do plan to maintain a tracking spreadsheet!

3 hours ago, jjkandlak said:

Am doing the 12/18 to 12/23 NCL cruise to Cabo and Ensenada on Norwegian Joy out of LA. Have a Hilton hotel free night voucher and plan to come in a day early to stay at Embassy Suites LAX. NCL informed me that unless I'm purchasing the room through them I can't use their transfer from the Embassy to the ship. Any idea of the distance to the port? Plan to take an Uber or cab if needed. Thank you!!!!!

Last October I flew in to LAX the night before, took the hotel shuttle back to Terminal 2 (per the NCL rep's instructions) the next morning, and took the NCL transfer to port. So it is allowed, but it might depend on which rep you talk with. I did not book the flights or hotel through NCL, just the airport -> cruise port transfer (and the cruise, of course).

Waiting around for the bus and then waiting in the bus until it's sufficiently packed with humans to be sent on its way... for my next cruise out of LA I went back to using Lyft. It's more expensive for a solo like me, but worth it.

Can you use your Hilton credit at a Doubletree? There's a Doubletree in San Pedro with a shuttle to the cruise port. Head over to the West Coast Departures forum to learn more about it and about transportation options: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/315-west-coast-departures/

7 hours ago, njkate said:

I've been looking at NCL Northern European cruises for next summer and not feeling it, Iceland and Norway not a high priority and I've already done the Baltics plus the pricing is nuts. I want a true British Isle cruise.
I found the perfect itinerary  and decent pricing with drink pkg and DSC included on Princess. My concern and questions is I love the NCL style is Princess going to be too "stuffy" hoity toity for an NCL lover? It is a 12 day port intensive cruise, only two sea days if that makes a difference. This cruise comes in about $6K less than the one NCL is offering on the Dawn for 15 days. The ship is the Regal.

I'm an NCL enthusiast but have cruised Princess twice and will happily do so again. To me, Princess had a more low-key vibe paired with more traditional decor. It definitely felt more formal but that's in comparison to NCL's super-relaxed contemporary feel. You will have formal nights for the MDRs but there are plenty of dining alternatives if you don't want to dress up.

I’m not sure what happened on that Encore sailing, very odd. Normally yes, you can purchase items at the licensed Starbucks cafés using a physical Starbucks card, the phone app, and the Apple Watch app. The apps generate a QR code for your account so you do not need internet access onboard.

Pro tip: if you have the beverage package, take your latte or Frappuccino to a bar and ask them to add a shot of liqueur. Bailey’s goes nicely with Starbucks Blonde Espresso. 

In addition, the number of your included specialty restaurant meals depends on the length of the cruise and the cabin you book. For a 7-night cruise, you get one specialty dinner if you're in a Studio, interior, or ocean view cabin and two dinners in a balcony or higher category. You can purchase additional dinners.

If you don't want to upgrade to the Premium Plus Beverage Package, you do have the option to purchase a water package and/or an unlimited Starbucks package (this is new!). It all depends on what you prefer to drink.

On 8/1/2022 at 7:18 AM, KKB said:

One thing I forgot to note.

DH & I like a balcony but we agree that we just don't use it often enough to justify paying much extra for it. (a couple hundred total? Worth it)

BUT I did use it much more the week I was solo, not surprisingly.

This month I am 1 week in a Solo Studio & 1 week on a balcony (for $90 more than that Studio!).

I had put in an upgrade request on the studio; $150 for a balcony.

BUT after watching a recent video about the studio, I decided I wanted to try it for myself. 

PLUS that coffee maker in the solo lounge sold me. 

I find coffee on a cruise to SUCK. And I truly am fine with coffee in nearly any land restaurant. But I find buffet coffee to be like sludge on pretty much all lines. I got a couple Starbucks gift cards for retirement so they can get me thru part of week 2. 

So, hey, I saved $150 by dropping the potential upgrade plus the potential extra in a daily large Starbucks!

Cruise buffet coffee is pretty awful. The Studio Lounge espresso machine is super easy to use and oh boy, can I drink a lotta lattes... But balconies are also tempting. I definitely used the balcony a ton in Alaska, not so much for the Mexican Riviera. 

3 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Some of the ships have become so large that there are places on the ship that I never visited on a 7 day cruise.  

I've now spent 21 days on NCL Bliss. There are still parts of that ship that I've yet to see.

1 hour ago, moody cruiser said:

Thank you.    I understand that NCL is #1 for solo travelers so w/o the studios and lounge on the Joy, I should be okay as the studio experience itself wasn't on my radar.  However, this will be something I intend to pay attention to in future bookings when cruising solo.

FYI, the host situation might depend on the sailing, ship, or general staffing. Joy to the Mexican Riviera was my last cruise before shutdown, and we had a very enthusiastic solo host. She noted that the previous week’s cruise had just a couple solos show up so she was happy that nearly two dozen crowded into Maltings for this one. 
 

Check the NCL forum (or Google) for recent Freestyle Dailies to see what’s listed for the daily gathering. 
 

Stay tuned for Prima reports! There will be CC solos onboard those early sailings (myself included) and we’ll definitely be reporting back on the new Studio design. 

On 7/30/2022 at 3:06 PM, phabric said:

Thanks for the information.  Coming from Toronto, it be will LAX and will be using EzAir.

 

I have never used Uber before.  I think someone mentioned order a Uber Black so we can be picked up at the curb.  I put the Uber app on my phone.  I pretended to order and there were a few cars available.  I did not see where to order Uber black.

On the Uber app, after you've put in your location and destination, it'll display your ride options. Uber Black is under the Premium category (scroll down to see it, if available).

2 hours ago, BenCoudon said:

First, I had the same reaction.  But wait to see it with all the table cloths and the dimmed lights.  Pictures were taken with full light. I think it will be just perfect  

I like the retro feel of Cagney's, and agree that it'll look more elegant under typical dining lighting than it does under the bright construction lights.

I'm a bit disappointed that they didn't include photos of the Studio area. 

And I was right about that venue being the new sushi place! I love the look of Hasuki and wonder if the more upscale experience translates to fewer corny jokes. The whole ship looks amazing. I hadn't realized there was a glass exterior wall in the atrium.

54 more days... 

I think the only cruise line which could be iffy for solos is Disney since it's so geared towards families and couples, AND you're paying a lot for the name.

If you don't like Carnival or Norwegian, you'll definitely want to avoid the 3-day Royal Caribbean cruises out of LA on Navigator of the Seas. I did the 3-day and 4-day versions back to back, and things were definitely quieter on the 4-day one.

How about Princess? You'll have your choice of LA and San Diego departures to either the Mexican Riviera or California coast. While Princess lacks solo cabins, they sometimes offer reduced pricing for single occupancy. Some of their sailings out of LA this autumn have really low solo supplements. 

Celebrity has been offering some great solo bargains lately, too. I think Solstice is the ship they're using out of LA this fall/winter.

Joy is a gorgeous ship, stick with her! Although there is no Studio area for solos, there will still be a hosted daily solo gathering.

4 hours ago, FreestyleNovice said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Start the betting pool now… when will the first person need to be rescued after getting their hand/arm stuck in this decorative wall? 
 

However, to make a good guess we’ll need to know the distance between this wall and the closest bar.

3 hours ago, Steff79 said:

What are these two places?

the second one has a microwave there or?

Based on the configuration style of counter seating + glass partition between customers and chefs, and the little bit of lettering we see in that divider wall, with the large "A" and the "SUS" below it...

I think we've just gotten our first peek at Nama Sushi.

That microwave-looking thing could be for broiling/grilling (grilled eel or yakitori, yum), and those R2D2-ish things along the top could be rice cookers.

1 hour ago, victory2020 said:

For reference, Carnival & HAL have free milkshakes in their regular package (even alcoholic ones)

Royal Caribbean, too. If you're on a ship with Johnny Rockets, that venue's milkshakes are included in the Refreshment and Deluxe Beverage Package.

On 7/24/2022 at 9:04 PM, squadron said:

Staff seem to push solo diners into a table with others whether you want to share or not. I don't want to join family groups for breakfast as I am sure they want to have family only also.  This happens at breakfast more than at lunch time.

Maybe that depends on the cruise line? I've been on NCL, Princess, and RCI - on all three I've been seated at a table alone with no pressure to join other tables. 

Generally I wake up between 5:30 and 6, regardless of time zone. The cats have conditioned me to do this! MDRs don't open early enough for first breakfast, so I'll often go somewhere to grab a coffee & pastry and then have a proper second breakfast in the MDR or buffet.

Perhaps we can hold off on hating this change until we actually see a menu? The VIP inaugural is rapidly approaching and presumably we'll see the new MDR menu at that time if not before.

THEN we can bash the new menu.

1 hour ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

In Oct and May, early baggage drop off was to the left of the Pier (by Anthony's).

I wonder why? In late April (second sailing of the season), the baggage was in the usual spot. Is this like the Costco "treasure hunt" where you have to wander around to find where they've moved the mustard to this week?