lgdesign

1 hour ago, BirdTravels said:

Maybe it will be like Royal Caribbean. You can eat the NY Strip steak off the MDR menu for free. Or get a Chops steak (Specialty Dining) for a $17 upcharge. 

Yup... I would expect these so-called "specialty" items to have an equally "special " upcharge if NCL is true to form.  😉 

Exactly... that's what we all meant... CONNECTING balcony and 2-bedroom cabins (as japit and I both suggested). 

The only issue (aside from budget) would be that those in the balcony would not get the same breakfast/lunch suite perks as the others.  That may or may not be a deal breaker.  The same would occur with the 2-bed/inside cabin combo.

I think we're all in agreement that 5 adults in the 2-bed is a tad "cozy"... I supposed it could be done as long everyone could handle the "coziness".

A few thoughts depending on your budget...

Would you consider booking an inside cabin across the hall from the 2 bed to gain extra beds (and privacy for the daughter and boyfriend) with their own bathroom.  5 adults in a 2-bed on the Jewel class coudl be tight.  The 2nd small bedroom would be good for one adult (your other daughter).

We did this with my family a number of years ago and got extra 2 bed key cards for the people in the inside so they could come and go in the 2 bed as they pleased.

A perfect scenario, would be a club balcony adjoining the 2 bed... but as you were already looking at adjoining club balconies, perhaps beyond the budget.

Good luck!

16 minutes ago, kuku77254 said:

I did get the upgrade. Now I feel like I bid too much!

Oh, I hope that feeling fades... enjoy your ugrade.  Second guessing will just make you nuts.

"Non, je ne regrette rien."

31 minutes ago, kuku77254 said:

I decided to check for my March 13 Encore and I have 2 expired and 1 pending!

That's great...  please let us know how you make out!

2 minutes ago, mdcrim said:

I called to inquire about a paid upgrade for my cruise on March 13 but was told since it's after final payment that I'd have to cancel and rebook.  I only just booked the cruise last week.  Oh well, I guess I'll wait to see if my bid is accepted. 

Call again and ask a different person about it... a number of us on this thread have successfully done this with no penalties except for possible perk changes. 

1 hour ago, CruisingGator96 said:

Is there a special number to call and inquire about a paid upgrade or do you just call the main number for NCL?

My TA had to call for me, but if you booked directly with NCL or using one of their PCCs, call the general number, navigate to "existing reservations" and then explain that you want to know how much they want to upgrade you to the cabin you would like.  The amount is likely to be the difference between their current advertised "sale" price and the price when you booked (before FCC or 10% discounts). 

If you do accept their offer, be sure to ask if your perks will be impacted (and how) and factor in any differences before you commit.  Have them e-mail you an amenity invoice while you're on the phone so you can confirm that what they told you about the perks is actually what happened in their system.  A lot of their people are new.

20 hours ago, rick160158 said:

What was the room you gave up ?

Haven Penthouse

52 minutes ago, lgdesign said:

Us too just this past Tuesday due to price drops... piad a fraction of the lowest upgrade bid they offered me.

And the other good thing about upgrading directly (if the pricing is in your favor) rather than going through the bidding process is the ability to select your cabin.  The downside is that perks could possibly be affected.

1 hour ago, gigem_aggies said:

NCL only says "PCR or Antigen" test.  I called and the agent wasn't sure.  Other cruise lines give you an entire list of alllll the different kinds of tests that fall under PCR and Antigen.  

Thanks very much for bringing this up... I did the Rapid ID Now Diagnostic Test for my MSC cruise last fall because someone on the MSC boards was good enough to post that that was the exact test he had done and it was accepted by MSC with no issue.

Hoping someone will do the same here for the Rapid ID Now Diagnostic Test after they've successfully boarded NCL.  I had hoped to do the same test for my upcoming NCL cruise.

56 minutes ago, vacation44 said:

It was also cheaper for my husband and I to upgrade ourselves for our Joy cruise last month.   Not only saved us money, but saved me weeks of stressing over it.    Enjoy your new cabin and cruise!

Us too just this past Tuesday due to price drops... piad a fraction of the lowest upgrade bid they offered me.

1 hour ago, dcassetta said:

 I can see it in the section "offer upgrades".

That's where I see it as well.  It's not under the dining section where they show the packages... go to your "vacation summary" area and scroll down.

56 minutes ago, LisaLisa87 said:

I'm sorry if this has already been posted -- or worse -- is old news. I was just looking at the Vacation Summary for my 7-night sailing in late May, and I noticed I have the option to upgrade from 2 specialty dinners to 4 for a reduced price. For Comparison, the price to buy a second 2 meal package would be $106.80. I'd rather get 3 dinners "free" like we used to, but I'll take this slight improvement!

 

Thank you for pointing this out... it doesn't benefit me this time but will definitely be useful going forward.

It ain't over til it's over!  🤞

Also, if you call in to upgrade, you can select your room if location is important (look this up ahead of the call to check what's available)... when bidding, you get what they give you if you win.

12 minutes ago, mafig said:

 

The MSC designation is YC1.  However, what I meant is the Haven Penthouse smaller than that?

 

The cruise is 7 days.  And $400 Per Person is the minimum bid.  I was wondering if I could bid less, like $400 total.  

Based on the floor plan for the Haven Penthouse on hte Joy... and having stayed in a YC1 (which is the Deluxe Suite in the Yacht Club), I would say the room size in the Haven Penthouse is smaller than the YC1 on MSC.  As you say you booked the larger balcony, the balcony in the Haven Penthouse will be a little larger than the balcony of a YC1.

You will not be able to bid less thru the bidding system, but you CAN call NCL directly (assuming you booked directly thru them) or have your TA call them... and ask how much it would cost to upgrade directly rather than go thru the bidding price.  I just did this and got my upgrade for a fraction of the minimum bid as the prices had dropped on my cruise.  Your promos shouldn't change as you just booked last week, but you should ask to make sure before you make the change so youknow exactly what you're getting.

48 minutes ago, mafig said:

I haven't sailed on Norwegian for several years.  I currently have booked a Haven Penthouse with Large balcony on Joy.  Since I booked (just last week), I have been receiving daily emails from NCL to upgrade.  Now I know I should avoid the Aft because of vibration issues (also I do want to be in the Haven).

 

If I do decide to bid on a two bedroom Haven, do I bid what Norwegian is listing ??? It's $400 per person.  Can I bid less?  Is it correct I won't know if my bid is accepted until boarding?   Why do two people want two bedrooms (I know the Haven Penthouses are on the small side.  Does anyone know if they are smaller than MSC's Yacht Club 1 suites_)   I'm more than happy where I am....just wondering if the two bedroom is something I should consider.

 

As you can tell I'm a little befuddled and need your input.

How long is the cruise?  Is $400 the minimum bid? 

The second bedroom is handy for storage and more importantly, you get two bathrooms and the second one has a shower as well as the first one. have you compared the floor plans?  That might help you decide.

I've sailed in the Yacht Club on MSC in a Deluxe Suite... is that what you mean by Yacht Club "1"?  If so, the Haven 2 bedroom is defintely more spacious.

On 2/22/2022 at 12:10 PM, Frankf3 said:

We'd like to make a new reservation, but can't do that until FCC is issued.

Are you sure this is accurate?  Back in December, I cancelled a cruise that had FCC applied.  To ensure I got the cabin I wanted on a different cruise, I was able to go ahead and book it before the FCC was returned to my account.  Once the FCC did show up, I then called my TA and had them apply the FCC with no problem. 

My experience has been that you don't have to apply the FCC at the time of booking and can add it later... that said, I assume you might want the security of having the FCC in hand when you make your new reservation to make sure it's applied immediately.

12 minutes ago, lepidoptera said:

 A few months ago I started looking really hard at a Baltic. Ultimately decided to wait due to worries that there would be sanctions against Russia/a lack of consular assistance. I wish I had been wrong for everyone’s sake. 

Same here... what a fasco for those living in the region.

1 minute ago, debenson0723 said:

It was back in September and I honestly don't remember but there were 4 of us who each had a different appetizer, entree and dessert and we all loved them.  And about half way thru the meal they brought us a white pizza that we talked about the rest of the cruise. We wanted to go back just to get that pizza but ran out of time.  Sorry I wasn't much help but I don't think you will go wrong with whatever you order.

This very helpful... I'll check out the white pizza for sure.  Had eaten in Onda before and enjoyed what we had very much.

16 hours ago, zackarykeef said:

And if you don’t want to remember a night out…ask for a Tokyo Tea. You’re welcome 🤪

Maybe I don't want to know... but what's in a Tokyo Tea?

3 minutes ago, debenson0723 said:

One of the biggest complaints about the Encore is it's lack of free sun space.  I was on the Escape for the first time earlier this month and I missed the Observation Lounge as a quiet space to relax, but I am not a sun worshiper.  My quiet spot on that ship was the Waterfront but on the shady side.  Wish I could give you a more positive answer but I will go totally off topic and recommend Onda for dinner. Possibly one of the best meals I have ever had on an NCL ship.  Enjoy your cruise!

Still off topic... what did you have at Onda?

Back on topic... sailing on Encore for the first time in less than 2 months.  Thanks for sharing the info about the lack of that kind of space.

26 minutes ago, ggTexasGal said:

And, show your appreciation!!! 😉 

By the way, I only do these kinds of requests directly at the bar, and only if there are very few (or no other) customers/servers waiting.

Absolutely!

5 minutes ago, ggTexasGal said:

I wouldn't be afraid to ask!!! If they aren't familiar with the drink, but you have a printed version of it, they might be willing to make it for you.

 

Is this (approximately) the right drink?

1 ¹⁄₂  ounces rum

1/2 ounce tequila - gold

¹⁄₂ ounce melon liqueur

¹⁄₂ ounce blue curacao

3 ounces sour mix

Ice

 

That sounds about right...

Does anyone know if you can get a Jamaican Paradise on NCL?  It was my recent go to drink this past T-Day on the MSC Seashore... As nice to look at as it was to drink.