Asawi

Actually you "pay" either 250 or 500 (Haven certificate) each and get 125 in OBC. But as has been mentioned the OBC is counted towards the certificates and you will only be charged 125 or 375. There is absolutely no need whatsoever to spend the OBC on anything else unless you want to.

I was actually seriously considering booking a cruise leaving out of Oslo yesterday. .(It's just a few hours of bus/train for me to get there.) It was available to book at least until late night the day before departure. Price was good but not good amazing.

It can be done if necessary. Immigration officers can come onboard or ther can be a compulsary emigration check befora embarking in the last EU port. I have experiences both types, but not in/out of EU.

Being European I wouldn't know anything about exit stamps from EU. But was Civitavecchia really your last EU stop? If not, then they should definitely not have "signed you out".

Yes

I have very Little experience of NCL excursions, but on my recent South Africa Cruise it was raining really bad when we were in Richards Bay. I was booked on a tour to a reptile Park but when we were about halfway there NCL decided that there was no point in going there when weather was this bad. We return to the ship and got our money back. I have absolutely no idea if this is common or not though.

Amen to that!

I have had major changes on NCL booked flights twice. Both times it has been the airlines that has made the changes very close to departure. Both times I have worked with the airlines (not without frustration! Anyone else have experienced Lufhansa's horrible muzak while on hold?) to sort it, but I have also recieved messages from NCL about the changes once they were done. One of them was my flight back to Europe from NY that got cancelled/rescheduled in an impossible way (connecting flight departing before arrival of first filght) on the day before debarkation. I got a message through Guest services to contact the "air department" (or whatever their actual name is) and when I said I was aware and had sorted it out already they said "Oh... Wow!" Apparently not what they are used to...

I really can't see much hassle. Why check in twice? Each of you check in for your room. You then go to guest services and get a spare key for the room you intend to share. Inform the cabon attendant if you feel it would be appropriate. No big deal!

I don't know anything about OBC, but when it comes to credit card hold my experience is that any hold is released before they make the actual charge.

I have done that. I did FCC+CN and then added another CN later. I don't know if that is the way it's supposed to work, but it worked for me. Nowadays I go through my PCC and he can always sort out these things for me.

Yes, that is a slight worry for me as well. Last year people were charged 20% tax while in France. (That was later changed). That would make $15-20 for a solo speciality meal and to me, they simply aren't worth that! So if I know beforehand about that charge I won't have that dinner. The problem is how to know. NCL has a disclaimer in the dailies that VAT will be added on food and drinks, but then it turns out it isn't added on food. And possibly not on drinks either. Even if the signs are on the bar (yes, I have had several beers when that sign was there and not been charged). Which of course is good news, but still... That is part of the reason this topics comes up now and then. NCL inconsistency

Just go to one of of them and if it's the wrong one it will tell. you.

Staff. Little by little so the lower service level won't be as noticeable.

Well, that's good news at least! The Marron au clementine I'll miss though if it's removed (as someone said earlier)

No kidding! I was in Iceland and northern Norway in July last year. Before the cruise lots of people asked about Northern Lights, hoping to see some. In July... I cannot count the number of people on "that other site! that thinks "London" and "Rome" actually means London and Rome and not Civitavecchia and Southampton. However clear that should be looking at the itineraries. I do think NCL could be clearer in describing the port locations though. I too need to have a plan. My plans usually involves public transport. Takes som research, but often can be done!

Bus companies have "tours" that are more like a transfers. That could be an option. You can also take a train. The tour I did first stopped i Lucca where we had a couple of hours to either explore on our own or join a guided walk for a small fee. We then went to Pisa, parked the bus maybe 15 or so minutes walk from the tower and got some time there. Less time than Lucca, because, to be honest, apart from the tower Pisa is less interesting than Pisa in my opinion. Loved Lucca! This bus service departs from the same place as the shuttle from the ship drops off. Price for my tour was €25-30 (don't remeber exactly). I think they have one just going to Pisa as well, but never looked into that.

That is pretty useless in my opinion. I don't want to drink all of of it once and to not be able to reseal, well that's bad! God thing I have my own refillable bottle and there is good water available for free!

Seems like most of what has been removed from different menues are the things I would order. Oh well, it's not like I have to go hungry anyway. Just a little less happy.

This new EU "sale" is a mess! Prices has gone up A LOT now. I (and my PCC) suspect NCL web page is erroneous. (<sarcasm> surely it can't be an NCL IT issue <sarcasm>) I expect prices to go back to "normal" (meaning the price it has been during the 35% an 50% "sales"), but at the moment they are way off.

Wow. $5 extra per week. Wow.

Go to your cruise payment page and check that there isn't a balance due. I have only done this once, but I THINK that's what happened for me.

I was on Dawn in South Africa in March this year. I have been on Star twice. They are very similar in many ways, including the food. I am not a foodie so I'm pretty easy to please when it comes to food and both of these ships serve enough to keep me in a good mood. I can however see how others might not be thrilled about the food. Star's Spice H2O is lovely. I missed that on Dawn! There is comfortable outdoor seating on pool deck though. On my cruise, however, chair/sofa hogs occupied most of that most of the time. But if you're up early I suppose there will be seating for you. As for the 8 people left behind earlier this year, they were on an independent tour and the tour company messed up and arrived much too late to the ship. Personally I'm not too keen on either Dawn or Star, but they both have attractive itineraries so I'll probably travel both of them again.

YOU need to be on the ship's WiFi (or some other WiFi in for example a coffee shop), but the other person can be anywhere. And don't worry about asking questions! 😉

Not for using iMessage (iPhone to iPhone) while on the ship.