Giladj

Doing a B2B2B on the Star starting in October. Booked with my normal TA and got my shareholder OBC with no issues. The date of the OBC award was early September, Interested if NCL has a new rule change that benefits only them. I will sell my stock if this is true. I only own it for the OBC.

In June of this year (2023) we sailed CCL Pride to Norway and Northern Capitals, 21 days total. It was basically a Scandinavia cruise. The deal was a casino offer that we did not deserve (long story here) but we took it. I am trying to keep my opinions separate from the great rate we got. We cruised CCL in 2022 (Caribbean) due again to an unbelievable rate. and were pleased. The itinerary wasn't great but lets talk cruise product here. The buffets at breakfast lacked things I expect on NCL. Decent granola and smoked salmon. We actually like Guy's Burger Joint for an afternoon treat. No bun no fires, just a burger and the condiments bar was good. I do like sushi and their pay sushi options are a decent value. I ordered this twice for lunch. We won a free dinner at their steakhouse at some event. We enjoyed our meal but not enough to book again and pay the going rate. The dining room felt like a cafeteria with no table clothes. Not a huge problem just wished for more. We always found something we liked. Appreciated the lobster (not Maine) and good beef offerings. The wait staff were excellent! The entertainment was basic at best. Given what we paid for this 21 day cruise we have not a single complaint... We are Sapphire on NCL so clearly we like their product. The perks they offer are of value to us. Some free laundry (we always pack light and book long cruises), two specialty dinners and some free wifi. The rest of the perks are worthless to us. We usually pay the higher cabin prices to get the "free" at sea perks as well, but I do crunch the numbers. The additional specialty dinners, wifi and included (not free) drinks usually work to our advantage. We also own NCL stock that entitles us to additional OBC. We sill get $100 for each of the three cruises we have booked. Even if you do not pay for any of the "free" at Sea perks, NCL has more dining options. There are two dining rooms (same menu), one less formal. I do not like long pants so wearing shorts even on cooler itineraries appeals to me. Add to that, the 24 hour, O'sheehans Irish Pub (on older ships which we prefer) for breakfast lunch or dinner. There is also a complimentary asian restaurant which is nice for a change. There are at least 4 pay specialty restaurants on each ship also. So NCL wins on dinning options, wether pay or included. Hands down the entertainment is better on NCL. On the newer ships there are more options than the show lounge. Escape room events and Dueling Pianos. We did a week long Caribbean cruise (BC Before COVID) on the Getaway and the shows were Broadway quality. We had just seen Frozen on Broadway so we are not talking out of school. The Million $ quartet was nothing short of amazing. My biggest bone of contention with NCL is their propensity to nickel and dime guests once they are on board. NCL's shore excursions are the most unreasonably priced in the industry. We shy away from any cruise line tours but NCL's cost, even with the "free" at sea $50 credit is ridiculous. If you exclusively use cruise line tours keep NCL prices in mind when doing your cost analysis. We are itinerary and price focused travelers. We do both land based and cruise trips. Am I loyal to a brand. Yes, but only to the extent that they provide value for what we value. CCL regulars need not be concerned with what they will experience on NCL. You will be pleased.

This is another one of those "it depends on you" questions. But again, some people want predictability of cost and are less concerned with best value. If all of your drinks will be above the $15 limit maybe it a good idea. Maybe not! By the way a shot of Bailey's is above the limit! Don't get me started.... Only you can say if its worth it to you. To upgrade to FAS Plus you need to value the higher drink price limit, the added specialty dinning, the unlimited wifi and the shore excursion credit. We are booked on a B2B2B cruise this fall on the Star. A 9 day, 10 day and 11 day. Very port intensive. We are Sapphire, so for each cruise we get 2 specialty dinners as perks plus the additional 1 with our FAS (we are in an inside cabin), We also get some free wifi beyond the FAS accommodation. I pay $100 a month for an international plan on my phone when we travel. So my phone works in port. No need for more wifi. Three specialty dinners is enough on each cruise. We rarely book NCL tours so the $50 credit I already get I probably won't use. I will grudgingly pay the additional cost of the Bailey's for my wife's night cap. For us the upgrade doesn't hold any value. But, it may for you. What do you value? The answer to your questions lies in the answer to that question...

We are new to RCCL and learning a new cruise line is interesting. We are booked on a TA in November with lots of days at sea and repeat ports for us. We would really like to have dinner at/near 6:00 pm each evening. Early seating is too early if it is 5:15. MTD start is too late at 6:45 when trying to get to the 8 pm show. Figuring I will make 6:45 reservations and show up early (6:00 - 6:15) and hope for the best. Any problems with this plan?

We are new to RC but are booked on a TA in November. I checked us in today on my laptop/website. The only hassle was getting security pics from my phone to my laptop.

We got caught out a number of years ago, 2016 I think, where we both came down with colds part way through 30 day cruise around Australia. This was on Celebrity. Nothing on the ship and could not find our usual remedies even in port. The best we could find was Fisherman's Friend for cough. Ever since that trip we carry enough to handle a bought of cold symptoms for both of us. We pack zicam, DayQuil and NiQuil gel capsules, cough drops, pepto, Immodium. It takes up little space and weight and we have what we need if we need it.

Even if you regret it make sure you leverage it. Not into booze, order virgin drinks. Absolutely check out the specialty restaurants. Our favorite is Teppanyaki. Reserve early. Enjoy some free Wi-Fi. We use it to post tav logged to social media and download library books while sailing. When your trip is over then you can assess whether it was a mistake or you can at least know better what the FAS is worth to you. That way on your next cruise you can price your voyage with FAS and as sail away and make an informed decision.

Thanks everyone for reminding me what wines around the world is. My wife and I now remember the experience and have decided to pass. I guess I would rather order a glass of wine and enjoy it in a quiet setting. we will try for the dinner with the officers on the first cruise and see what that is like. Thank you all for adding your input!

Wasn't looking for sympathy, just information. Thanks so much for chiming in with your sermon. Sheesh.

Thank you. I appreciate the feedback and info.

THANK YOU ALL FOR THIS GREAT NEWS!!

Sorry if this has been covered but I did not see it in the first dozen pages. We are Saphire with NCL so are entitled to Dinner with officers and Wines Around he World according to the Latitudes Benefits page. We last sailed with NCL last fall and they were not doing either of these. My question is, are these two Latitudes Perks back? And can anyone give me recent feedback on the experience? We are booked on a B2B2B (30 day cruise this fall on the Star and wondering if these are worth booking at least once, if they are now being offered. Thank you!!

Sorry if anything I say has been covered but I did not read the 4 pages of responses. We are Saphire with NCL. have status with other cruise lines too. I identify my relationship with NCL like I do with my Apple computer products, as a love and hate relationship. Just for reference purposes, we are currently booked on NCL Star on a B2B2B (30 day) itinerary this fall. NCL has some of the best base prices in the industry. That is why we have cruised with them so much and have earned the status we have . Do not be fooled by their "Free at Sea" promotions. They are anything but free. But at times, and with careful research you can identify the true cost of these "free" perks. On our current bookings I was able to identify that the actual cost of the "free at sea" perks cost us $24 per day per person. At that price yes it is actually a bargain. The addition $24 entitled us to "free" drinks (up to $14 each) plus 1 specialty dinning options per cruise (because we booked an inside guarantee, you get more if you book outside or balcony cabins) plus wifi and shore excursion credit. With NCL's inflated drink prices 2 drinks a day makes it a deal. But this is not always the case on all sailings. We are cruising in off season in Europe, so do your homework! NCL has the highest port excursion prices I have encountered anywhere. If you are an independent traveler who can make their own plans in port NCL can be a great deal as long as you do not get coerced into their high excision prices. NCL has some of th best specialty and complementary dining options I have encountered. We recently spent 21 days on a Scandinavian cruise on Carnival and "won" a free dinner in their specialty steakhouse. Our evaluation was that is was good, but not good enough to justify the $100 price tag. On NCL all of their specialty restaurants are worth the price (we often get them as perks) especially Teppanyaki! NCL also has a premium experience (the Haven) which I have no knowledge of. My research has indicated that I would be better served to book a cruise with Oceana or other top tier cruise line rather than pay the price of the Haven on NCL. But this is a very personal decision. We are value travelers, a distinction from bargain travelers, in my mind, because I am glad to pay more for more of the things I value. Just for comparison sake we are booked on a 14 day transatlantic on RCCL after we get off the NCL Star. Our first time with this line. Because we have status with Celebrity we are entitled to Diamond perks on RCCl. This gives us discounts on laundry, wifi and we get 4 drinks per day each. We will be sailing in an inside cabin again but for about $40 per day per person. I have noticed that shore excursions cost about 40% less on RCCL. This is an accurate comparison because we will be visiting some duplicate ports. We are excited to sample this product and hope to leverage our Celebrity status on future RCCL cruise. RCCL base prices are usually much higher that NCL but shop around! Another way to add value is to buy at least 100 shares of NCL stock. This entitles you to free on board credit based on the length of the cruise. We will get $100 in OBC on each of our 3 up coming cruises. Just a little bonus. We also use a Florida travel agent that is publicly traded and we own stock with them too. This entitles us to very good dedicated agents and a 5% rebate on the cruise fare (not port charges or taxes) We get a rebate check once we return from a cruise. On our upcoming cruises this will be another $150 back in our pocket. Yes we play all the angles. So we love the perks we get on NCL. We hate their tendency to nickel and dime guests. The informed consumer is the winner with NCL! But shop around,

We have been platinum for quite some time, now Saphire, and did not know that the Saphire perk works in any restaurant. This is interesting news. I always feel constrained by the perk limitations ($35 per entree) in Cagney's and La Cucina (our preference for perk meals in the past). We also LOVE Teppanyaki and usually use our specialty dining package meals here. Am I correct in understanding that I can use my perk for Teppanyaki and then use my specialty dinning package meals to Cagney's or La Cucina with broader entree price allowances? We are booked on the Star for a B2B2B (30 days) this fall and have already made dinner reservations. Can tell them once I arrive at the restaurant how I plan to "pay" for the meal? Thank you all for this great information!!

It is my understanding that EU laws prohibit cruise lines from prohibiting this. Again it was news to me and pleasant to actually experience it myself. I would think that if they could enforce their prohibition rules all cruise lines would. I have never seen CCL miss an opportunity to extract money from their guests. So I am still looking for someone who has experienced on NCL what I experience on CCL. Thanks