UKstages

it's two mints in one. it's both a promo and it's failed IT infrastructure. (it's also a dessert topping.) if they have a cruise next double up promo, it may also allow doubling up of cruise first certificates because they don't know how to prevent the system from accepting two at a time.

are those the so-called "hockey puck" hash browns? why are thy resting on what looks like wax paper? is @cruiseny4life sailing with you? a couple of those hash browns look half-eaten! i thought he practiced better buffet etiquette than that.

there are no official exceptions to the "one cruise first certificate" per booking rule. however, NCL IT infrastructure is notoriously wonky and they simply don't know how to code certain things. it would not surprise me in the least of the website treated cruise first certificates exactly like cruise next certificates. if that's the case, go ahead and book using two certificates. if the website allows it, then, congratulations! you will have just saved some good money!

people sure do like to use that phrase "blanket statement" around these here parts. i'm not sure everybody knows what it means. frankly, i haven't seen a lot of blanket statements in this thread. i've seen a lot of opinions based on actual lived experiences and on first hand accounts of things that have actually transpired. those would not be blanket statements. i did once review down comforters and bed linens on amazon. and i do remember making quite a few blanket statements at that time. also, my friend linus has been known to make a statement while holding a blanket.

thanks for the review. i was on the cruise immediately preceding you. and so i have just one question... who are all those people? i never saw any of them! attila and paul and grace and the colombian girl and the tall UK redhead? no idea. i would agree that the cruise director was rather aloof and MIA...never saw him except at the end of shows when he did announcements. we also skipped bermuda, but we were given $25 OBC, not $20. and, yes, it was nice of them in the sense that they often don't do it, but they are basically refunding a portion of your port fees. i thought "million dollar quartet" was sensational, but "burn the floor" bored me to tears. it was the most antiseptic dance review i've ever seen. no chemistry among the cast members the night i saw it. they did on the 1/27 cruise. same cast, essentially, as MDQ, so as long as MDQ is listed, it's a fairly safe bet that they will have at least two performances of "broadway unplugged."

i've never been on the jade, but i've spent a lot of time in casinos on many other NCL ships. people win every day in the casino onboard the jade, as well as every other ship in the NCL fleet. most people will lose most of the time, however, and - overall - NCL will win more than it pays out on most cruises. but there are big wins. i won 7K and another 14K onboard the joy on the first night of a cruise last october. we were only 90 minutes or so into the cruise. the casino had just opened. bets were $2.40 and $4.80, respectively, both on the same penny machine. and then somebody sitting next to me on the last night of the cruise won 22K on a $4.80 bet. different machine, but same game. i had a few modest hits under 3K on my most recent cruise on the getaway. i've seen people win 10K, 20K, 30K, 40K, as much as 50K. sometimes on penny slots, sometimes on nickels, sometimes on dollars. i saw a dealt royal flush on ten play 25 cent ultimate X video poker once on an NCL ship... each hand had an 8X multiplier, so it paid 80K. people do win, but most people will lose most of the time. it's entertainment. and, often, a way of ensuring your next "free" or discounted cruise. just don't bet the rent money.

without commenting on the nature of self entitlement, which can be an attribute of any cruiser, regardless of status or cabin class, i'm here to tell you that the haven key card does indeed matter a great deal outside of the haven area. there is what i have dubbed "the haven halo" that follows a haven guest around the ship. if you go to the MDR or the local, for instance, you are more likely to be seated more quickly or by a window than somebody in an inside cabin. that's just the way it works. it's all done very discreetly, but haven status - as well as elite latitudes status - is absolutely a factor in certain customer touch points throughout the ship.

they appear far more frequently than that. we saw them recently for, if memory serves, thanksgiving, christmas and/or new year's, valentine's day, then president's day immediately following V day, without the offer disappearing. the only thing you have to be cognizant of when using cruise first certificates is that the certificate must have been purchased at least 120 days prior to the sail date... so if you anticipate booking a cruise that's four months out, you're too late... otherwise, you're fine. that's the sail date... not the date you book the cruise. you can book a cruise for next week, provided the certificate is at least 120 days old..

you can! in a factory sealed jar. if you feel you can't live without them and you're willing to put up with a lot of questions and snickering and pointing and requests to taste one and also if you're ready to deal with the sticky residue on your fingers and your purse or backpack or whatever. you technically are not able to bring any leftover back into most ports once you disembark. i love me some luxardo cherries, but i would just do without for seven or twelve or fifteen days. seems like a lot of effort for very little reward. and just think how wonderful those cherries will taste when you've returned home after you've been deprived during your holiday.

i haven't really had time to read the thread thoroughly, since i rushed down to mcdonald's to get my totally FREE fries! you know what they told me? i had to order in the app and i had to spend at least a dollar on something else! how is that FREE? i will never eat at mcdonald's again! they are lying thieving meanies!

i could see this as a legitimate rationale for declining NCL air if i were spending 10K or 100K on airfare. or if i had a very large group that was traveling with me and i were paying the airfare for all parties. but assuming just two people or a family of four, how much could your airfare be? $800 $1200? $2000? $2500? in your case it was only $380. the interest on that money would be far, far less than you are likely to save by using NCL air. it worked out for you and you were able to find the flights you wanted on the airline you preferred at almost exactly the same price. you're a smart shopper! as others pointed out, however, the airline is now making "interest" off your money for exactly the same length of time as NCL would have, so it's not clear how you've beat the system and protected the integrity of your cash outlay. disclaimer: i don't use NCL air and have no dog in this race. i just know that the interest earned on the average amount of airfare would be inconsequential, especially in comparison to the overall expenses associated with the cruise fare. so, i don't see that as a valid reason for rejecting NCL air. (as i understand it, there are many other very good reasons for rejecting NCL air. lost interest isn't one of them.)

how exactly were you "stung?" are you saying the price you paid was somehow different than your invoice or included charges, fees or gratuities not mentioned in your contract?

the poster (that would be me) is from the united states. there is no recession in the USA. NCL is an american company (incorporated in bermuda) and headquartered in miami. north america is the leading source region for the global cruise market and most north american cruise passengers come from the USA, which remains the largest global cruise market (based on revenue). again, both the poster (hello!) and the company under discussion are based in the USA. "cost cutting" is an accepted fact and was never in dispute, so it's odd to see it here as a contrary conclusion.

they will print "bronze" or "silver" or "gold" etc. on your keycard, so you can proudly flaunt your status when you whip your card out. it's a meaningless "benefit," especially since, when you swipe at a restaurant or retail outlet or bar, they can tell your latitudes status anyway.

no. this is why i referred to them earlier as "bogus benefits." the prebooking (for non status guests), the laundry, the treats, the sitting area, the wine (for non status guests) and the bathrobe are "real" benefits, although anybody in any cabin could presumably ask for a bathrobe. and while not listed here, one of the best benefits is the larger bathroom (on most ships). the "lemongrass" bathroom products would also be a perk, but i've never seen those.

there is also no coordination of treats... nothing is spaced out if you have treats coming from more than one department or entity. if you're a sapphire guest in a club balcony who also has premium status in the casino, you could get three sets of choco strawberries on one night.

it may well have been. but it wasn't supposed to have been. here's the list of club balcony benefits from the NCL site: Exclusive Club Balcony Suite Amenities Distinctive Purple Keycard Pre-book onboard dining as early as 125 days prior to sailing Pre-book entertainment as early as 21 days prior to sailing 1 complimentary valet laundry 1 bottle of sparkling wine upon embarkation Treats delivered to your stateroom twice per week. Bliss Collection by Norwegian™ featuring fine linens and pillows Lemongrass bathroom products Bathrobes TV, refrigerator, safe, and hair dryer Sitting area Lower beds arranged as a queen-size bed. Coffee maker & ice bucket available upon request. 24-hour standard room service menu Continental breakfast menu

club balcony is definitely purple; i'm looking right now at a key card issued a few weeks ago on the getaway... purple. it's even in tye description of the club balcony as a bogus benefit. "distinctive" purple key card or some such, if memory serves

we docked at amber cove last october on the joy; no explanation given.

good grief. there is no longer any "white party." and it's for a very specific reason. you know, it would be humorous to see folks here talk about "the white party" and how much fun it is and how much they are looking forward to it, except it's actually pretty sad in 2024 to see these folks cluelessly clamoring for a "white party."

yes, absolutely, it's so they are not a target for terrorists. is there another reason? indeed i have. what i have witnessed, and what i find puzzling, is that the chinese will often go to a cafe and sit at a table for six or eight and place a pack of cigarettes or a pack of tissues on the table as a placeholder for the five or seven people not present. that lone gesture is supposed to make the table off limits for all others... for a half hour or an hour until the other guests arrive. pushing aside strangers? i have never seen that nor would i identify it as being indicative of any aspect of asian culture. indeed i have.

does purple signify a "suite" or, more specifically, a club balcony suite? (which isn't really a suite at all, of course.)

first cookies, now chicken tenders are being removed? stop the madness! and just exactly who are these tender defenders?

i've traveled extensively through asia. i have never witnessed this. perhaps affectionately among friends and family, but strangers? pushing people aside? no. this is absolutely not something that is sanctioned "in their culture." what i want to say about my fellow amercans is that they - as a group - are among the world's least savvy travelers. and something seems to happen to many of them when they come onboard a cruise ship... all their intelligence, tact, manners and respect for fellow humans seems to be left onshore.

yes, but you lead a charmed life. hello! very recent getaway experience over here! no cookies to speak of. no in room amenity (club balcony and casino guest). none in the vibe. none in the casino mini-buffet. i'm not a big cookie eater, but i don't remember seeing them anywhere, including the buffet.