soccermommy

Thanks, drvalo, for getting back to me so soon. Yes, unfortunately, we are looking at a cruise a year away, but the itineraries don't seem to change much, so you were very helpful. Again, thanks.

OP, so sorry you had service issues. We were on the Jade Great Britain cruise in May, and although we encountered no problems, we did notice that the crew didn't seem as happy as on other NCL ships. We never saw the Captain, either, except for picture taking on the first "formal" night. He didn't attend the Meet and Greet, either, but the Hotel Director did. That officer was everywhere, and a very nice gentleman. We figured the Captain was busy; it was a very port intensive cruise, but it was surprising.

Food is objective, but service in the Grand Pacific ( they were training staff the the Joy) was slow and often orders were wrong, but I can understand your concerns.

Could you give some more information on your ports, and any shore excursions you took? We are considering this cruise out of NY, or the Dawn out of Boston, so appreciate any advice. Many thanks for your review.

While I was on NCL's site today, I decided to check the 2019 schedule, and lo and behold!

There are 3 cruises listed for Jan- February 2019, a few more for December 2018. All are on the Jewel out of Sydney. Two in January are Sydney- New Zealand with no port stops in Australia, the 1 in February is Sydney- northern Australia-Indonesia - Singapore. After that, it looks like the Jewel will do a Southeast Asia cruise. The schedule is listed only to March 2019.

It's a little disappointing for us if this schedule holds, we can't commit to December or January cruises since DH works for an NFL team which expects to be in the postseason.( Yes, I know, no sympathy). So far prices are good, you can gat an aft balcony now, and it's a little less than what we will be paying for Concierge on Celebrity.

Hopefully, NCL will have more information, or my TA can. I just wanted to update everyone.

OP, I'm sorry, but it looks like you have made up your mind. Your reasons matter to you, you have every right to your opinions about the safety of cruising from San Juan. Many might agree, but many of us don't.

Much of what you reference definitely applies outside of San Juan. DH has family on the west side of the island. We know wkat's going on in towns like San German and Mayaguez. Frankly, the pictures don't do the damage justice. It's worse.

San Juan is in much better shape. You may disagree and not want to travel. Fine. Celebrity and other cruise lines are coming back. Do you really think they want the liability of sending thousands of passengers into danger? I had a stop in Istanbul cancelled last year because of the possibility of an incident. Again we can disagree on what constitutes danger. But cruise lines tend to be notoriously conservative.

I really hope things work out for you, I just don't think Celebrity should or will indemnify your position.

p - Thank you for your post. I will venture to suggest that since you have been in the insurance business, you know that most insurers have several policies in their portfolio which can be purchased.

 

The OP suggested that they never purchase insurance, which I accept and proffered up that CFAR was expensive, which I know and never purchase as well.

 

I would go so far as to state that the cruise line insurance is not expensive compared to CFAR or 3rd party, yet the OP complained (or stated) that the maximum return on the investment was only going to be 75% or their outlay, if they were to cancel and apparently that was not good enough.

 

The OP never indicated in any way, shape or form that they could not afford the insurance, only that it was expensive, which is very true for most of us. Yet there are insurance policies which will cover most of the issues without going the CFAR route.

 

The OP additionally continued to rant about how X is placing passengers in danger, which is patently untrue, as it was pointed out to them on several occasions, to no avail. Again, does anyone really, really deep down in their heart of hearts believe that X would put passengers and crew in harms way? I, personally, telieve this is a gross mis-characterization of X and its' policies in this case.

 

Now, you having been in the insurance industry can appreciate that when individuals or companies choose not to insure against a peril, they essentially choose to self-insure. Self-inusres means 'the individual/company understands that if there are damages or perils, seen or unseen, there is no coverage for same and they will be responsible for taking the loss. Who do they go to, maybe besides Government, to get some type of reimbursement for their loss?

 

I laud you for trying to come to the OP's defense, it does not mean much to many of us here who have witnessed the rants and over the top accusations, in this forum and at least one other. No sympathy.

 

 

The bottom line: the OP wanted out of the contract for any reason (CFAR) without the requisite coverage, X said no as they plan on sailing as scheduled and will do so under the CoC which the OP agreed to upon making final payment. Rather the CoC is fair or not, is a different issue altogether and not under discussion at this time.

 

 

bon voyage

Thank you so much, Bo, for so clearly and politely putting this into perspective.

I think most posters have sympathy for the uncertainty of cruising from San Juan. I know I would be upset if I couldn't be sure of flights and hotel accommodations. But I also think things will be better in time for the OP's cruise.

Do I think San Juan unsafe? No. Uncomfortable, probably, life threatening, no. Zika? What part of of the Caribbean doesn't have cases?

I hope the OP finds a solution that works, either taking the cruise or cancelling. But I think you hit the nail on the head here.

We sailed the Reflection in February. It was immaculate. I would check reviews of the Reflection to see what other cruisers posted. You should get a more up-to-date idea of the state of the ship, but I haven't heard of any major problems.

I was always told don't book the first cruise AFTER a dry dock, because things tend to be a little disorganized. I hope you have a fantastic time. We love the Reflection.

We tried Murano, the Tuscan Grille, and Sushi on 5. Hands down, we preferred Murano, fantastic food and impeccable service. We ate at the Tuscan Grille the first night (discounted!), we enjoyed it, but I have read mixed reviews. I would go again.

DH would eat sushi anytime so we did two meals. The sushi was well prepared and the prices are reasonable. I am not a huge fan so the chef prepared me a cooked salmon roll which was really good, even if something of a heresy.

We didn't eat at the other restaurants, but that's something we plan to do next cruise!

Food is subjective, of course, but I think you will be very happy. Have a great cruise!

There was a big price drop on our inside room on the Jade Britain cruise in May. Our TA got us upgraded to a balcony, and put my DS next door. The balcony was forward, and partially enclosed by metal, but we still had a great view. There were no changes to our perks, no added OBC, but we were happy.

OP, it sounds like you dealt with a customer service rep who will not win any awards for excellence. I would be upset, too.

The confusion seems to be about the wording for Berlin, which is of course, not a port., and nowhere near the actual port. But Warnemunde is listed. Why there are not bus transfers, I don't know, and it is possible they could be added. We are 10 months out, after all..

But there are other, cheaper options available. We have used NCL for transfers to airports, this year we used them from Southampton to Heathrow. It was convenient, but more expensive. Other trips, we have just used a train. The point is, NCL is not necessarily the best option.

Have you already bought your plane tickets? If not, you have the opportunity to spend a day or two in Berlin, then take the train up to the port without pressure. Give NCL another chance, one bad person, or one person having a bad day, shouldn't ruin your trip. I will say, dealing with a large group sounds a little like herding cats, but you have the trip of a lifetime.. Good luck!

OP, I am really happy this worked out for you. NCL did drop the ball by not keeping you informed, and by not keeping up to date information on their website.

I have a feeling that keeping the entire website current got overlooked in all the chaos from the Hurricanes. It's no excuse, though, and I'm glad NCL made good.

I have found NCL's website is better than a number of cruislines, though. There are pages of complaints, and some horror stories, on Celebrity, another line we cruise, so we have learned to trust, then verify!

Best of luck on your upcoming celebration, and thanks to your fiancé for his much appreciated service!

OP, I understand part of your frustration. If I were 5 weeks out from a cruise and were unsure of the conditions, I would be upset. But, I think in 5 weeks, you will find things are very different.

Getting San Juan and its tourist areas up an running are a huge priority. How do I know? DH has family on the island.

Already, there are some areas in San Juan with power and Internet, not much, or all that great, but it is improving. I have a feeling there will be places to stay, especially the larger hotel chains. Of course, I can't be sure. who can?

The real uncertainty is outside San Juan. There, people don't have power, unless supplied by generator, gas is available, but rationed, everything is cash, and banks are waiting for more, there is no mail, and people wait in long lines for food and water. Supplies are coming in, but are slow to get to the people who most need them. Zika might be a problem, not that I have heard lately, but that isn't much different from most of the Caribbean, or even Miami. We find good bug repellent works well. DH really wants to go down to help, but at this point he knows he'd just be another mouth to feed.

It seems to me that if you just don't want to deal with the uncertainty, and you either have insurance or can afford the self-insurance, cancel. If you can change your flights to fly in the day of the cruise, that might work. But things just might work out okay, too, in a couple of weeks.

Good luck to you. I hope we all send good wishes and good luck to the people of Puerto Rico, who really need it.

OP, it sounds as if the megaships might be the problem, not necessarily NCL. I have sailed only mid- sized ships on any line, and crowding wasn't much of a problem, except for tendering, which is a totally different topic.

There's nickel and diming everywhere, we found it on Celebrity, too. ( Celebrity has great specialty coffee but it's extra unless you have a drink package). We just thank politely and keep going.

We found the Jewel class ships to be a good combination of space and onboard activities. You might enjoy them. I do hope you give NCL another try. But best of luck to you.

I can't answer for the Getaway, but on our recent Jade cruise there was an exchange desk, and if I remember correctly, the Spirit did too on our 2016 cruise. We brought euros and pounds from home and never used the exchange desk.

But, I'm willing to bet the Getaway will have one too. Have a great cruise!

I try really hard not to come down hard on negative posters. They are reporting their impressions, and their opinion is as valid as mine.

But I do scratch my head at people who come here and complain about their rotten cruise, and who apparently didn't do much on the cruise to rectify matters.

I want to know what (or if), Guest Services did. For example, bad room upkeep could have been fixed easily, unless there was a do not disturb sign posted. I've found Guest Services usually bends over backward to help.

I guess I want more concrete information than we got from this poster.

Sorry, OP, you got sick. I'm not sure how it happened, but I have to ask, if it was the buffet, how many other people were affected? There would have been a noticeable increase in crew cleaning too, and probably some instructions from the cruise staff.

Did you go to Customer Services? What did they say, or do?

I'm not familiar with the Epic, but any cruise can have issues with unruly children, or unruly adults, for that matter. Do you talk with anyone if it directly affected you?

I wish you better luck on your next cruise.

I spent two years traveling to Mexico and working there. I had to have body guards with me from the time I passed through customs until the time I flew out. Police and taxi cabs are not to be trusted. The streets are not safe. I stayed at the same hotel as the Pope when in Mexico City and was woken up by machine gunfire outside one night.

 

Mexico is not safe. You are foolish for thinking that you can travel there safely, despite travel advisories.

I'm sorry you had such a bad experience. I did not, but I am not so foolish to think nothing will ever happen to me. My point is, until I hear otherwise, I don't think cruise ship passengers will have problems, unless they act foolishly and ignore guidelines.

I guess we can agree to disagree about travel in Mexico.

I have been to Cozumel twice in the past year, once on the Reflection, and also for one of my daughter's wedding. We never felt unsafe. Unless something radically changes, we would happily go back.

We'll be on a NCL Panama Canal cruise next year that stops in Acapulco and Cabo. We've never visited the Mexican Riviera and are looking forward to seeing it. I expect we will have a great time, but we plan to be careful, and probably use ship tours. Right now, I see no reason to avoid cruises that visit Mexico. In the world we live in, we all have to be vigilant and careful, unfortunately everywhere.

My daughter had her wedding in Cozumel last October, and we returned there this year on a cruise. Maybe it's because we speak Spanish (well, DH is fluent, I get by) , but we never had a problem, or heard of any for others. There is a certain amount of petty crime, but violence against tourists is extremely rare. I consider Cozumel to be pretty safe, but I always pay attention to my surroundings, same as I would in any other place I don't know well.

We are taking a Panama Canal cruise next year on the Star, and it will stop in Acapulco, and Cabo. We may just take ship excursions, but will research private tour operators. Acapulco has had a reputation for problems for years, Cabo, much less so, but that means we will be careful and pay attention to any recommendations or restrictions on travel areas.

Can violence happen? Sure, it's possible, even with all the care and precautions we take. But is it likely? I don't really think so, so unless something happens, I think most of us on cruises will have a good time visiting Mexico.

I have done 3 cruises on Norwegian on their smaller ships, and have just booked my 2nd on Celebrity after sailing on Reflection. We cruise balcony on NCL, and Concierge on Celebrity. I like both lines for different reasons.

Food is really subjective, and I can only give my opinion, bur we found the MDR on the Reflection to be better than MDR food on our recent cruise on the Jade. Specialty restaurants were very good on both. I preferred the buffet on NCL. NCL has Pepsi, Celebrity has Coke, which we vastly prefer, and yes, that was important to DH.

Both lines do their share of nickel and dining, NCL is worse. NCL has better entertainment, IMO. NCL has the Haven, but it's pricey. I hear good things about Aqua on Celebrity, maybe someday...

The major differences were, for us, the service. Celebrity just seems to try harder, and they pay attention to the little things. But we have never had a bad time with Norwegian. The vibe is just different. NCL prides itself on its energy, and freestyle cruising. Celebrity is a little quieter, and the best way to put it, refined.

We always pick cruises for itinerary and value. I get more loyalty perks on NCL, but I'm finding Concierge to be just a little nicer, and our TA got us a great deal on Concierge on our 2019 Australia/New Zealand cruise. I'm booked on Norwegian for a Panama Canal cruise next April; as I said I like both lines and try never to pass up a good deal.

I'd say go with your instincts, and pick the line and itinerary you like. And have a wonderful time!

Depending on the time of day, the Spinnaker lounge on Deck 13 is a great place to sit and read or just watch the sea go by. It's really good for Sailaway if the weather isn't cooperating. It is one of our favorite places to escape crowds. Some of the small bars aren't crowded during the day, depending on tiime and cleaning schedule. The Atrium isn't always all that busy and great for people watching. Outside, it depends on the weather, but if the Jade is doing Northern Europe next year, you won't have a crowded pool area very often, and there are less windy areas that might work. Good luck and enjoy the Jade! You will have a wonderful time.

As others have said, it depends on how close your arrival time at Heathrow is to your cruise departure.

One thing you have to figure on is the time it takes to get through Immigration if you are not a UK/EU citizen. It took hours for us, thankfully our shared transfer waited for us. But we were staying in London 3 days before traveling down to Southampton, and had a booking on the Megatrain. It worked because our hotel was near Waterloo, but hauling luggage and stowing it on the train ( both do it yourself) was a pain.

Look into private car service, or the NCL transfer, if only for making your life easier, and if you are coming in the day of departure, it will be imperative.

Thank you all for your replies and help.

It isn't so much as I can't wait,( though it's hard!), it's a matter of trying to find out what itineraries are out there. We'd prefer a cruise over 12 days, but any one we like has to be within a 2 month window. Surprisingly, there aren't a lot of those cruises out there.

I looked at Norwegian's 2017-2018 sailings to get an idea of what could be offered, but of course, that does't give dates or fares for 2018-2019.

Our TA can't get any info from NCL yet, so advised us to put down a deposit on a cruise we like, with the idea that when NCL comes out with its plans, we can change, since the cruise is 18 months out. So we are booking with Celebrity, which has a pretty good deal with their Concierge class, but really want to see what NCL will have to offer.

Can anyone give me an idea when NCL will release dates and itineraries for 2019? We are particularly interested in Australia and New Zealand. This will be for a 70th birthday celebration, and one more check off my ( very big) bucket list!

Several other lines have already published their 2019 itineraries, and believe it or not, starting to fill cruises, but we want to see what our preferred line has to offer.

Thanks for any help.

I have had 2 bad bouts of BPPV, and it's no fun. My problems had nothing to do with sailing, but after tests, I found my problems had to do with severe sinus problems and allergies. But that's just me. It can happen for a variety of reasons, but the end result was that my inner ears couldn't regulate my balance. There are methods for resetting the little "stones" inside the inner ear and in my case, they worked.

Please see your doctor. I found I have to careful about colds and sinus blockage, but I have no problems flying or, thank goodness, sailing! It is possible your dizziness could be long term, which is rare, but there's a better chance it won't.

A lot of information has been hitting the media sources today, so everyone is getting to see just how violent and disturbing this incident really was....that is, for those who are interested. I'll also refrain from posting the cabin #.

 

Thank you to the vast majority who kept this thread civil. I've been in law enforcement 24 years and I've seen my fair share of domestic cases....often the first to arrive. This is the sort of thing that is not only tragic at face value, but also for the first responders and witnesses who have to see what death really looks like. It's the sort of thing that changes a person. My heart bleeds for their daughter, family and other witnesses who had to intervene.

As the mother and MIL of law enforcement agents, I just wanted to thank you for you calm professionalism in reporting on this truly sad occurrence, and thank you for you service.