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Maybe it is 4. I just remember ours was about to expire. You are correct that if you cancel your cruise they expire. The trick is to “change” your cruise to a date further out. Some of their leniency may have been due to Covid. But our travel agent is the one who told us not to cancel but rebook. We booked a Caribbean cruise in March 2019. In Jan 2019 we changed that to a Caribbean cruise in 2020. Several months before that cruise would have been, we rescheduled to do a Northern Europe cruise in the Spring of 2021, since that was cancelled due to Covid, we pushed it out a year to Spring 2022. Then my mom passed in Jan 2022, so we changed it to a Mediterranean cruise in Oct 2022. We did actually take that one.

I bet they can get in to ports others can’t. I will check into that- though they may be too pricey for us.

We need some advice. We want to plan an AK cruise. But there are so many itineries to choose from. We love beautiful scenery, quaint fishing villages, wildlife and nature. We’d especially love to see whales. I like to do travel photography I can turn into paintings. We are not in the best of shape and extensive walking is not possible. We don’t have kids and are not big drinkers (at least by WI standards) or into the night life at all. Big cities hold no interest for us. Neither does shopping. We live in the Wisconsin Northwoods, so snow and ice is nothing new for us, but I hear Glaciers are beautiful. We always get a balcony cabin so we can see the sights right from the ship when possible. So, with a basic understanding of what we like, which (7day) itinerary, cruise line and time of year do you think is best for us? We have cruised on NCL, Princess, and Royal Caribbean. Liked them all, but Princess best.

Just wanted to share an NCl experience. Twice we have purchased $1000 in cruise next credits. Both times we took advantage of the double your money offer. We got 4 cruise next certs worth $250 each for $500. First I want to say- NCL makes them super easy to use. No blackout dates or restrictions, except they have to be used within 2 years of purchase. Having worked in the vacation industry I can attest to the fact, sometimes we all need a nudge to plan vacations. Having $1000 of the next cruise and a use it or loose it policy helped us get over that hump. But we also found a little trick if you can’t use them. We had $1000 in certs that would expire spring 2019. So we booked a cruise for March. Then my mother in law got sick and we had to use our vacation time to see her. Ncl said “no problem”. Just transfer your booking for another cruise up to 18 mo out. So we booked a cruise for spring 2020. We all know that one didn’t happen. Neither did the one for 2021. (Covid). By the time we could travel again my mom, who was using two certs, passed away. Then my husband and I both lost our jobs. But since we had already purchased plane tickets and had that $1000 credit we were still able to afford to travel one last time. We finally took that cruise in 10/22. They let us transfer her certs to our (adult) kids and we had a wonderful European family cruise in my moms memory. Th “trick is that you can keep extending the certs as long as you have something booked before they expire. So if you are in danger of loosing them, book than next cruise. If you can’t take it, cancel and book another one, etc. I don’t know how long they would let that go. But it will buy you more time. Thank you NCL, for being so flexible and understanding. No matter how much you want to travel, sometimes life gets in the way. We are loyal NCL cruisers because of the way they handled everything. Shout out to American Airlines who let us transfer my mom’s plane ticket to another destination which we used for the kids.

Just wanted to share an NCl experience. Twice we have purchased $1000 in cruise next credits. Both times we took advantage of the double your money offer. We got 4 cruise next certs worth $250 each for $500. First I want to say- NCL makes them super easy to use. No blackout dates or restrictions, except they have to be used within 2 years of purchase. Having worked in the vacation industry I can attest to the fact, sometimes we all need a nudge to plan vacations. Having $1000 of the next cruise and a use it or loose it policy helped us get over that hump. But we also found a little trick if you can’t use them. We had $1000 in certs that would expire spring 2019. So we booked a cruise for March. Then my mother in law got sick and we had to use our vacation time to see her. Ncl said “no problem”. Just transfer your booking for another cruise up to 18 mo out. So we booked a cruise for spring 2020. We all know that one didn’t happen. Neither did the one for 2021. (Covid). By the time we could travel again my mom, who was using two certs, passed away. Then my husband and I both lost our jobs. But since we had already purchased plane tickets and had that $1000 credit we were still able to afford to travel one last time. We finally took that cruise in 10/22. They let us transfer her certs to our (adult) kids and we had a wonderful European family cruise in my moms memory. Th “trick is that you can keep extending the certs as long as you have something booked before they expire. So if you are in danger of loosing them, book than next cruise. If you can’t take it, cancel and book another one, etc. I don’t know how long they would let that go. But it will buy you more time. Thank you NCL, for being so flexible and understanding. No matter how much you want to travel, sometimes life gets in the way. We are loyal NCL cruisers because of the way they handled everything. Shout out to American Airlines who let us transfer my mom’s plane ticket to another destination which we used for the kids.

We like to take advantage of any cruise credits or discounts offered when signing up for the card. Then we use it just enough to keep it active and pay for the next cruise with it if we get discounts or credits. Then se cancel it. We always pay the balance off in full. This isn’t good to do if you are planning on a big expense like a new home or car. Opening and closing ccs may (probably) hurt your credit a bit. on NCL they offer 2 $250 cruise next credits for the price of one and you can buy 2 ( get 4). We’ve done this twice. We know we will travel and having a little money pre-paid pushes us to go when we get lazy. They are really good about special circumstances. But I’m going off topic. There are usually bennies if you buy these with an NCL cc.

Last October- we took adult kids to Europe. It was 7 days from Venice (Trieste) Rt on NCL. It was a good cruise- a few hiccups- but not due to the cruise itself. The ports definitely the best if any cruise I've taken to date. The Santorini stop was a bit disappointing. We didn't get to port until 2:00. While we were there till 10:00, it meant very limited time for sight seeing. I wanted to see the archeological sites. But it would have meant seeing nothing else. Guess we will have to go back. Mist ports we hired a driver when we got ashore. These were all great experiences. Dubrovnik was a bit disappointing. But I think it was partly that it was SO hyped as being beautiful it was hard to live up- and because we are not in great shape we couldn't climb the walls and get to the best sites. The old town felt like a Hollywood set. It was just very touristy. Venice was spectacular as always. But I was there about 30 yrs ago. It's sad how much it has changed. The graffiti and the smell were terrible. One of the best experiences of the trip was an after hours tour of St Marks. There are no words to describe the beauty. I highly recommend the splurge. Major disappointments- kids couldn't care less about the history, significance and beauty of our stops. They only cared about where they could get WiFi. Though my son did like the glass blowing demo and my daughter loved the St Marks tour and the food at every stop. The other major bummer- my husband got covid the last day of the cruise (though we were not sure it was covid until we were home since we were fully vaccinated). He spent the whole last day in bed and the trip home was miserable. Also, we couldn't believe how hot it was in October. In Italy, they are not allowed to use ac after Sept 30. So sleeping on our before stay in Milan and Trieste were miserable. I know this all sounds negative. But for the most part, it really was wonderful.

I'm with other posters. The ship food can get a little boring. And for us, 90% of the fun of travel is tasting new cuisine and talking to locals. Plus, many port towns need all the tourist support they can get. Just asking for recommendations can spark wonderful conversation. Asking crew is also a great way to find places to eat. In Puerto Vallarta we asked a cop. Had the most amazing fish there. We usually hire a local driver. They take us to some really great, very local places. Sometimes we just say, "make us your favorite dish". In almost every stop there is something local to try- in Belgium you have to try the frites from the little stands all over. In Santorini we had the best frozen yogurt I've ever had. In Norway you have to try the chocolate, in Mexico and the Caribbean the seafood! I will admit, there have been times- a very long day ashore, a dull port- when we have returned to the ship mid day for lunch and a nap. But only when we are docked. Never when when tenders are used. One other tip we discovered- you can ask a crew member to pack you a little picnic lunch. They will wrap it up and put it in a little lunch bag. They will even include a little corkscrew if you ask. When ashore, add a few local specialties from food carts, bakeries, or little shops. Maybe get some local cheese or fruit or even a nice bottle of wine or the local liquor. Find a bench or park with a view and dine alfresco. Then you get the best of all worlds! Best thing I ever learned from travel- if you over plan you don't leave any room for unexpected wonders. Sometimes you have to let life happen.

My legal name is Suzanne. I go by Sue. I used to hate it when people called me Susan. But I learned it's better for my mental well being to let it go. You just politely correct them, or say "for future reference I prefer XYZ". You can't change the system. The fact that you let it bother you so much is something you can change. As with almost everything in the US, there is the "legal" description and the one that is used. Our property address says one town, our legal address another. Maybe we should all go by our ss number. That is actually our legal, government issued name. So relax. Correct people once. If they make the same mistake again, laugh behind their back at how stupid they are. Maybe that will make you feel better. 😀

Ask a long question, you get a long answer! I have cruised several lines both before and after Covid. Honestly don't see that much of a difference. We have used NCL the most. We like the lack of schedule on NCL. But many other cruisers we talked to felt they were disorganized compared to others. I guess one man's flexible is another's disorganized. The ships are clean, the rooms nice, the staff fantastic, and the food pretty good. We are not much into any of the entertainment. Except we did see a Cirque de Sole show on NCL- so worth it! But it came with a specialty dinner so there was an up charge. Food that night was also spectacular. Con-NCL- with the free at sea you will have to pay additional gratuities. Since the specialty dinners were not that great it wasn't worth the extra cost (to us) of higher tips required. We are also not huge drinkers. If you have under 21 guests you can tell them and they will lower the grat cost for the non- alcohol package. We also found the shore excursion credit to have little value for us. We like to get our excursions when we get a shore. But everyone is different about that. If you have a big group, consider booking private excursions ahead of time. They don't advertise this but there is something called a sail away rate. That's where they pick your room within your cabin type. You don't get the extra packages. It gives you a better comparison. Ask about when you talk to them. Only problem when sailing with others your rooms may not be together. We also did a Caribbean cruise on Princess in early 2022. We loved it. Food was a little better. We especially loved the medallions. With a large group these could be a Vacation saver. While on board you can find your cruise mates. This is awesome since ships are huge and cell phones don't always work. You can also order food or drinks from where ever you are on board and they will deliver right to you. Their tech made everything so easy and fun.They have medallion and medallion plus rates. The plus is similar to NCL free at sea. If you add the cost of drinks, WiFi, and gratuities (Med plus covers those too) it's a good deal. Our next cruise is Celebrity, only because we found the best price with the best itinerary and dates combo. They used to be considered a luxury line. I guess now not so much. One thing we discovered (cuz now I know what to ask about) is that you can get zero proof drink packages. We would never have more than one alcoholic drink in a day so why pay for it. Also, one of those little things that add up on cruises- bottled water. Most drink packages don't include them. Celebrities zero proof package does. That and WiFi are the only extras we sprang for this time around. One more thing, it's best to pay gratuities when you pay for cruise. It may not save you money, but if tip rates go up between the time you pay and your cruise, it will. And I think it's nice pay for as much up front as I can so I don't get hit with that big bill at the end.

This is all great info! Wish I had had it for our last cruise to Greece. I was not the original poster, but I'm sure glad I read this post. Thanks!!

I find it very hard to compare apples to apples as some lines include drinks, tips, WiFi, ob credits, etc and some don't. And remember that if you have the drink or dining package included they will charge you extra gratuities up front. If, for example, you don't care about specialty dining, you don't want to pay extra for something you won't use. So, I find, if I total up the value of the " extras" I will use add it to cruise price, and divide by nights I get the true comparison of value for me. just my opinion.

I totally agree with post saying you can go back again. It's better to fully enjoy one thing than stress trying to do it all. Also, there can be overlapping activities from port to port. You can swim with the dolphins at one port and go snorkeling at another. There was one port in Mexico, Cozumel or Cancun, that had swimming with the manatees. That was awesome! It also included entrance to this beach park that had awesome snorkeling and some beautiful strolls through the jungle. We heard about this area researching tours. We went directly to their website and booked through the park itself. Turned out WAY cheaper and more fun to be on our own schedule. I also recommend on any travel, leave space in your planning for the unexpected. Some of the most wonderful experiences I have had were sights or activities about which I had no idea until I was there. Lastly, have fun with the planning. Thinking about your trip can be one of the best parts of travel!

Be aware- the tender into Kotor is beautiful, but king. Be sure to allow time both directions. We were 4 on our trip (Oct 2022). There were independent drivers waiting outside the port. You tell them how many people, what you like to see and when the last tender back is. Make sure you agree on a price up front in Euros or dollars and be sure you have cash. If you like learning about life in new place, this is a great way to go. Our driver told us all about how Montenegro became a country, the religious tensions and economics. All while being privately driven to the best spots. We told our driver we liked photography. He took us to some fantastic outlooks. He also took quite a few picts of the whole family we will treasure forever. He took us to little walled town that had almost no tourists. He got us back safe and sound and in plenty of time. Very safe there.

One of the reasons some people cruise is so they can smoke and gamble in hazy peace. That was my parents' philosophy. I have found cruises in Europe or with lots of Europeans tend to have more smokers. It is what it is. Just avoid the smoky areas and everyone can enjoy the way they choose.

In Puerto Plata we walked through the tourist shops where only cruise guests are allowed and found cars waiting to take people on tours. We paid $100 (or $150 I can't remember) and had our own personal tour guide. He took us to a fantastic lunch at a real locals place, introduced us to owners who sat down and ate with us. He took us to all the historical and scenic sights, all while sharing the local perspective on politics and culture of the island. He even took us to a hidden spot next to a river where he picked pineapples for us to munch. He took us to a roadside fruit stand where we tried several fruits we have never heard of. The shop owner didn't want to charge us to taste the fruit but we insisted. He also took us to shops off the beaten path where prices were significantly less and quality more. It was one of the best days we have ever had on a cruise. If you're like us and want to experience the local culture, food and expand your world prospective this is the way to go. We also like that the money we spend goes directly into the local economy. Just be aware, they only take cash. And don't pay till the tour is over. Be sure have enough to tip your driver if he does a good job. There are drivers waiting at almost every port I've been to. Sometimes they are not allowed in the entry area. So you may have to walk a bit to find them. I think you are safe doing this almost anywhere in the Caribbean. But it's always good to check boards like this for each port, as you have done. Have a great time!

Doing anything that depends on trains running on time in Italy is always dicy. There are frequent train strikes that could through a monkey wrench in everything. mad other posts mentioned- the port of call is often hours away from the city listed. You can hire a car to drive you. It's more dependable than Italian trains. But then you have to take time of day and traffic in mind as well. I think the idea of disembarking early is the best. Good luck!

This is a tough one! Deciding what is important to you is paramount. One thing I love about CC is it's one of the few places people are as likely to post about good experiences as they are bad. In your research keep a few things in mind: some lines have the option to strip down the extras. NCL calls them "sail away rates". This takes out all the "free" offers. Make a list of all the amenities and packages offered. For example, I recently found out Celebrity offers a "zero proof" drink package. This is great for us as we are not big on alcohol, but do go through a lot of water and soda. Last cruise we spent a fortune on bottled water even though we had "unlimited drink package". Also remember things like Starbucks are rarely included in these packages. It's also good to remember this is a fluid industry. We thought the medallion tech on our last Princess cruise was fantastic. But I'd be willing to bet other lines come up with something similar soon. Most importantly, in your research, remember to take everything with a grain of salt. Good luck! Have fun with your planning. That's one of the best parts of travel!

We will be cruising in Mexican Riviera in Mid November. I read that is during the humpback whale migration. How likely are we to see whales from the ship? We do Jane a balcony cabin.

It all depends on port and activity. If there is a particular activity- like snorkeling, dolphin swim, etc we go through the ship. In Mexico or Jamaica we wouldn't take a private tour. We've had some good luck with Viator and Vacations to Go. In Europe, we love to go with a local. Don't prebook anything. There are always drivers waiting at the pier. Had the most fantastic day in Kotor, Montenegro with a private driver. We told him we like history and he took us to the most beautiful nearby town, with no crowds. He gave us time to wander and do exactly what we wanted. He took us to some very scenic spots and even took pictures for us. As we drove he explained all about the history and current politics of Montenegro. He spent 6 hrs with 4 of us. We did three times as much as any shore ex all for $150 TOTAL! Of course we tipped him well too. We got back to the ship with time to spare. We had a similar experience in Rome, and Dominican Republic (he took us for the most fantastic local food). In Malta, the driver kept showing us more wonderful things, but then wanted more money than agreed at the end. We were going to tip him well anyway. So we gave him what he asked but no extra tip. If they threaten to call the police,let them. Trust me they won't. Be sure you have an agreed price and amount of time and hold the driver to it. Never pay up front and be sure to have cash. In France we made our own tour, did the same itinerary as one of the excursions, but in reverse using trains and taxis. Got little towns like Eze, all to ourselves and left just as the hordes of cruise passengers arrived to clog the tiny streets. In Santorini however we booked through the ship since getting to the town from the pier was challenging and tour members got to go first. Otherwise just getting up to the town would have taken the better part of our short time. If you want to know about a specific port, ask on these boards. They are a wealth of info.

This has all been so helpful. I lobe blown glass. I have been to demos in Venice that were amazing. But I have so much glass I really only want to do it if I can make my own. And the choices they give are not that interesting to me. Do they also sell other pieces made by the experts?

Has anyone done the glass blowing demo on Celebrity? What kind of pieces do guest make? Do they come out looking good? When are these classes offered? I assume on as sea days. I'd like to hear from someone who has done it.

I don't know how celebrity works. We are cruising with them first time in Nov. But in other shops they are not very forthcoming with drink prices. They prefer you drink up, lose track and not think about it till you get the bill at the end. I would guess most drinks are under the $10. Sometimes the "drink of the day" is more, or if a drink comes in a special glass you keep it's always more. Also, top shelf liquor is more. You should be fine with well drinks and soft drinks.

If you don't have an early flight to catch, schedule the pick up for around 10. They like to get the people who have a tight schedule off early. And why not have a relaxing breakfast on the ship before you leave. And then you don't have to worry about when the ship is finished docking. if you do have a flight to catch, let the cruise line know. They will facilitate you getting off asap. 8:00 would probably be safe. have fun!