UKstages

most likely because it isn't really twenty dollars. there is another OSC anomaly that is never discussed. ("OSC" = onboard service charge, f.k.a. "DSC") and that is that certain high-volume travel partners, and NCL itself in limited instances, waive the OSC. i can go to the american airlines cruise site right now and book a cruise on NCL and get what they describe as "gratuities for the first two guests" included for free. and NCL itself doesn't charge the OSC to its own casinos at sea "elite" members. (that's a perk of that level of the program.) they may have other arrangements under which they offer "free" OSC. i assume that when a travel partner offers onboard credit (OBC), that comes out of their commission. i assume that when a travel partner offers to "pay" the onboard service charge (OSC) or offers "free gratuities" that it doesn't come out of their commission, but that it's a negotiated volume benefit from NCL. so, it seems to me that NCL has built a certain shortfall into the program with regard to collection of the OSC. they know how many guests typically sail on a cruise, they know how many guests typically remove the OSC and they know how many travel partners are exempt from collecting OSC at any given time and how much volume they deliver. my best guess is that NCL therefore must have a "blended rate" for OSC. non-haven guests are charged $20 a day, but NCL most likely looks at that as something like $14.37 (or whatever dollar figure accurately reflects all the OSC removals and waivers). and that is perhaps one reason why the OSC keeps climbing.

well, actually, no, that specific question isn't answered by the linked FAQ. the poster would like to know, upon boarding the prima, where to head to make in-person reservations on embarkation day. it varies from ship to ship. if i recall, on the prima, it is set up on the lowest level of the theater/dance club (all the seats will have been removed).

pretty much everybody knows. azamara is not part of NCL holdings. only norwegian, oceania and regent are owned by NCL.

that's true of nearly every airport property worldwide.

this has been covered many times in many different threads. people use the terms "wifi" and "internet" indiscriminately. a better term for "wifi" in this instance would be "network." you are connecting to the ship's network. it's what allows you to use the NCL app at no charge. (of course, you connect to the network through wifi! that's what makes it so confusing for some folks. but you are not charged and you don't consume "minutes" in your internet package until you choose a plan and proactively connect to the internet.) once connected to the ship's network, there currently is a backend imessaging loophole that allows iOS users (iphones, macs, ipads) to send and receive text messages (no images) at no charge. a forthcoming update to imessaging security protocols may change that (TBD), but at the present time, apple users can send and receive text messages to those onboard, as well as those ashore, at no charge, without consuming "minutes" or being connected to the pay-for-play internet. (if you want to get technical about it, yes, the imessaging loophole operates on the backend through... the internet! yes, a backend part of your device is communicating via the internet... you're just not being charged for it. it's the same backend loophole that allows you to receive alerts from your apps... but if you try to access those apps, you won't be able to, unless you activate your internet minutes.)

in post #105, it was shared that cabin attendants had 12 staterooms to service before the change and now they have 18. so, prior to the change, they made 24 cabin visits a day... 12 X 2, half of which were long, intensive top to bottom cleanings and half of which were short touchups for turn down and towel replenishment, emptying of garbage cans and tidying up. after the change, they now have 18 cabins... so, while they now make only 18 cabin visits (as opposed to 24), all of those are intensive top to bottom cleanings.

five people (so far) have laughed at that post. several people have applauded two other posts in which forum contributors speak out in favor of that post. humor is highly subjective and one either gets it or one doesn't. that doesn't make it wrong and it doesn't mean that it doesn't meet some imaginary criteria for wit, satire or humor. that post was a playful pastiche of an "emily litella" style mistaken rant. not only that, it was a clever way of responding to a very frequently asked question! how many times in the NCL forum do we see people complain about dead horses being beaten while they roll their virtual eyes at anybody who dares to ask about tipping or what time rooms will be ready or how quickly we can disembark? that post, by assuming that couldn't possibly be the question being asked, responds differently... thereby waking people up so that they question their rote responses to this frequently asked question, which, it should be noted, has been treated respectfully and answered several times throughout this thread. there is a simple remedy if one thinks the posts of a particular forum member have little value. simply place them on "ignore" so that one no longer has to view their posts. the action can always be undone if one discovers they miss that poster's contribution. to quote ira gershwin, as folks so often do around here, "let's call the whole thing off."

naaah, i think your original wording was fine. i mean, i understood what you were saying perfectly. your posts are swell, but no matter how you rephrase it, i still don't agree with you! we (the folks on this board, not you and i) had this discussion when the original concept of the "contemporary cruiser" came up. it's wrong to put people into buckets based on when they were born. not because it's discriminatory, but because it's just wrong... it's not founded on any reliable research and never proves out. people seventy years ago were just as "entitled" and "miserable" and "curious" and "ambitious" and "adaptive to change" as millennials or gen x-ers or people of any other age. some 87 year olds like game shows and some 32 year olds do, too. but not all 32 year olds like game shows. and not all 87 year olds do not. some 32 year olds are luddites and some 87 year olds build computers from scratch. the reason people wanted paper and pen, was because NCL created a bad poorly functioning entertainment experience for WOF, not because they were older.

i spoke to a rep at CAS today to confirm my current offers. i asked him about the 4/1 changes. he was cagey. he asked what i had heard. i said i didn't know anything... just that there is a tease posted on the website. he didn't know that it had been announced on the website. and he would not confirm that there would be a new program in place april 1st! but it was clear from his hemming and hawing that there would be a new program; he was just under strict orders not to talk about it.

there is no access to the silver cove at all for haven guests, as far as i know, unless they pay for it.

the villas and cabanas are bookable through the shore excursions desk. there is no linkage with the haven, to my knowledge, except your concierge might be able to book silver cove for you, if space is available.

you swipe a card to get in. they give a wrist band, but after the first afternoon or so, virtually nobody wears them. the vibe staff is very good at quickly recognizing who belongs and who doesn't and people who don't belong will be asked to leave. if they somehow manage to stay, they'll be busted when drinks are ordered, as the key card is coded for vibe access. and if somebody with legitimate vibe access lets somebody else borrow their card, they will be busted because the photo on the account will be different.

yeah, no, i got that. i'm familiar with the technology, although i haven't seen this version of "wheel." i've seen the interactive game show using a connected audience thang. there are several companies who do this. i would submit to you that it's not the age of the audience that's the problem... it's the reliability of the internet connection and how NCL implements the software. it also may depend on the user interface/experience designed by the gaming company.

my experience has been that cabin attendants very quickly learn the schedules of their guests and adjust their rounds accordingly, so they accommodate guests whenever they can.

the contemporary cruiser line is a nod to a frequent comment we see here on cruise critic... that there is somehow something called a "contemporary cruiser" and that NCL is making all manner of changes to appeal to the tastes of this predictable and pigeon-holed mythical beast. we have previously noted here that "wheel" seemed to be more of a slipshod affair hosted by the cruise director... more of a pimped out "deal or no deal" than a genuine "show" with the production values of "price is right." some who have seen it have seemed to enjoy it. but it ain't professional cruise ship show business entertainment. with regard to the over 50 crowd, you are not going to find much sympathy for those comments here. many of our frequent posters are on sixth and seventh or eighth avenue and most are quick witted vibrant folks who would have no problem playing the game or regaling the audience with tales, both tall and small. now, paying $$$ for the game, they'd have a problem... and rightly so. but no problems for the average joe to play.

yes, absolutely. i see no reason parents wouldn't take their kids to spain for spring break.

but, but, but... i have it on very good authority that the contemporary cruiser loves game shows!

yes, that is all true, mine said “casino-value” for a good long while, even as I was ruby. that all changed sometime last year and there was much talk about it here on CC. i thought it had been fixed for all. apparently, not.

thanks for edumicating me on the meaning of the word "most." by definition, it means that this is not something folks have to worry about. it simply doesn't happen with great regularity. and while it's true that it only takes a few to screw things up (same thing is true of an online forum, sadly), by definition, since "most" people don't do these things, the likelihood of others encountering this behavior is quite slim. it only takes one ship to run aground to spoil things for everybody onboard. and, yet, on balance, it rarely happens. you shouldn't live your life in fear of what might happen, because it probably won't.

unless your bag is generally considered a "carry on" (and 28 inches does not qualify), you can not bring it on the ship yourself. you won't even be able to try. you won't be able to get into the security line with it... you will be asked to check it.

as mentioned upthread, i have the same tag... well, not that one. mine is anodized aluminum and says "this is not your bag."

mr. zimmerman was also my first concert! ten years later, though... rolling thunder tour. just to get this thread back on track... NCL should make dylan the godfather of the aqua. don't worry, i'll take @cruiseny4life aside and explain who bob dylan is.

there was also a time, years ago, when you could smoke on airplanes and you'd arrive at your destination smelling like an ashtray. there was a time, years ago, when they printed your credit card number on your receipt. there was a time, years ago, when they served hot meals on bone china... in coach. there was a time, years ago, when your airline insisted on a paper ticket. there was a time, years ago, that pan am carved roast beef onboard its aircraft and served their meals with fresh cut flowers. there was a time, years ago, when american airlines featured a piano lounge on some of its aircraft. there was a time, years ago, when standard seat pitch was 34 inches. now, it's more like 31 inches. we live in different times. pro tip: you can write anything you want on a luggage tag! where it says "name," write your first name, where it says "address," enter an email and/or phone number.

yes, thanks so much. i'm aware of that. the OP disclosed that in the initial post, but so kind of you to remind us. much appreciated.

once your reservation is booked, you can add vibe passes to your itinerary. the vibe is currently available for booking on sailings up to 12/31/25, provided the allotment of passes designated for presale has not been sold out or vibe passes haven't been blocked for logistical reasons, as they were recently on the joy.