Teegiee

Looks like the rain is following them into the Milford Sounds.

thanks for your awesome review! Love the photos!

Was the ship cold at night in the restaurant or show room? And was the body wash/soap in the rooms nice or should we bring our own?

we're on the same cruise and have booked most of our shore tours with Viator. They're a reselling website and reputable. The tours are a bit cheaper than the ship as well, or offer different options.

We're booked on

Full-Day Shore Excursion: Hobbiton and Te Puia Combo

Shore Excursion Half-Day Hawkes Bay and Napier Tour

Dunedin Shore Excursion: Small-Group Tour of Dunedin and the Otago Peninsula

you lose all the promotion with Guarantee though.

we are not drinkers so are happy to give up the drinks package

Hello,

new to all this bidding thing for an upgrade.

We got our email to bid this morning. We are an inside deck 5. After looking on the NCL site we see the guarantee balcony cabins are basically going for the same price we paid for our inside. Should we bid for an upgrade or can we call NCL and ask to upgrade there? Are guarantees worth it or too much of a risk? I don't want to be stuck in a horrible room.

Hello,

First NZ cruise is booked for December. Should we be booking shore tours before we leave or are they selling them as you get off the ship. Obviously we will be booking the full day tours prior to going, but am wondering if there are short options once you get there.

Also if anyone has recommendations for tours please let me know. We are in our 20's and some tours seemed catered towards the older guests. Hiring a car is not an option.

yes we noticed this years ago when we did Hawaii. Very odd experience. We thought it was because it was our first American ship, but there was absolutely no atmosphere on board and most staff were rude or bored.

I originally booked a cabin with a 3rd bunk, then found out the cabin next door was a 2 berth. Quick call to NCL and they swapped us no problems.

We are on the Jewel going to New Zealand

Hello,

I've been to Suva, Port Vila, Noumea, and the Isle of Pines via cruise ship many times. Suva has independent tours which are fantastic, many options and I've heard it's the same for Lautoka. In Suva you dock right in town and can easily walk around the city. Tours on offer go to the schools, villages, beach resorts. There are also ample taxis available. Noumea has a tour office as you step off the ship at the wharf. A lot cheaper than what the ship offers and great tours. The ship docks at a yucky bit of town but the really nice bit is just around the corner. You can take a tour of the island, rent a moped, shuttle to a beach, golf, museum, so many options. Isle of Pines is a gorgeous beach island where you can snorkle and swim. We once did a tour into the town area and it was great, also not offered by the ship. It is just a lovely place to swim, snorkle and wander around in, a perfect place to rest. Vila is another great port. The ship docks by a market where there are plenty of taxis. There is a waterfall which you can climb and swim in not too far away via taxi. There are also nice resorts, villages, a cute town with plenty of food options and shops. Would save my souvenirs for this port as there are heaps of options. Bartering is not encougaged in Vanuatu, but go ahead in Fiji. All these places accept small Australian dollars and very very limited credit cards, so plan accordingly.

I am in Australia and booked on line in Australian dollars. I rang customer service and she assured me that if paid in Australian dollars then there are no gratuities to be paid on the drink package.

 

 

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Awesome, thanks for the reply!

Is this the same with bookings via the NCL website but in Australian dollars? I can only see prepaid service fee of A$18.59 AUD per person per da, nothing is mentioned about the UBP.

We did this tour years ago and it was a very long day. They put on a special boat just for the cruise passengers to come back on as the times were just too tight. We were literally the last passengers to board the ship before we left port. I don't think you will be able to do this tour independently as it's too much of a risk with times.

In Noumea there is great snorkeling at Duck island which is accessible via water taxi a Anse Vata beach

It's really odd hey. Never come across this before.

The email starts off said

In response to our travel partner and guest feedback, the itinerary for above mentioned sailing has been changed to offer an itinerary with enhanced ports of call. Please see the revised itinerary information below.

Our itinerary was strange, Christmas Day in Melbourne, so probably limited things open and tours. And Boxing day in Burnie which also was limited things to do on a public holiday. Personally I am glad for these changes, wasn't that keen for Tassie and xmas day was going to be a waste. It's a shame for people who were looking forward to those ports though.

We are on the cruise right before you and our itinerary has changed too. We are skipping Melbourne and Tasmania and just heading to NZ with the South Island ports now added. We got an email on Friday night/Saturday morning from NCL explaining this. We are also getting OBC. Maybe if you booked through an agent they will have received the email?

Just got an email from Norweigan about a change of itinerary for our Xmas and NYE cruise.

They basically called it ITINERARY ENHANCEMENT INFORMATION and informed us that is now a NZ only cruise with added stops in Dunedin and Picton, plus scenic cruising through 3 of the sounds. We have the option to cancel, swap, or stay the same and get $150 OBC per cabin.

The previous itentarary was a bit weird, stopping in Melbourne on Xmas Day and Burnie on Boxing day when nothing would be open, so this is good for us.

Hello,

I did the POA Hawaii cruise a few years back and have just booked the Jewel out of Australia for Christmas and NYE. How does the Jewel compare to the POA? I really enjoyed the food on the POA, but found the entertainment lacking. Also cabin sizes, by far the smallest cabins we've cruised on. Due to the budget we have booked an inside in level 5. And one last thing, the ship is in US dollars, is everything put on your account or do we need cash? Some ships i've traveled on have made you use cash for bingo and the casino and i just want to be prepared.

Thanks for your help!

Hello,

Has anyone been here and can recommend tours. Should we book ahead or are there tours available at the port on the day? We are mid/late 20's so not really bothered with wineries or tours of factories and would rather tour than hire a car. Cradle Mountain looks interesting and was wondering if that was an option.

thanks everyone!

Yes, I've noticed the specialty dinning options seem to be varied now! Not just the streak restaurant anymore.

Thanks for the electrical plug option, i'll remember to take them.

I really hope the Jewel will be like the POA, the food was a lot better IMO and i enjoyed not being forced to dress up. I will miss formal night though, might have to get the DH to dress up for some pics.

The cost cutting is annoying considering NCL have a 'service fee' which is compulsory $18 or something per person per day and 18% added to your drink prices. I don't mind paying, but it does make you wonder.

Hello!

It's been a long time since I've cruised... too long :o

I've convinced the DH to do a Christmas NYE cruise on the NCL Jewel from Sydney to NZ :cool:

So my question is, what has changed? I think cruising has become more 'cooler'. Are lanyards still the thing to do?

Also since this ship is American, I am going to presume the electrical outlets will also be American and we will need adapters? :confused:

Thanks!

my pictures of the Pacific Sun xmas cruise

noumea, vila, isle of pines, Mystery Island and Oveau- plus a great sunset

http://good-times.webshots.com/album/569486489kRJvEv

or click on the last picture in my signature

xx

check out this link

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=740648

New Years Eve clip from the Sun

Hope the link works!

p.s Sorry about the quality

Pacific Sun new years eve cruise.

pictures now up

Hey,

dont know if they still offer it but last december the spa on the Pacific Star offered teeth whitening treatments for $120. I was wondering if anyone had this done and what at end result was like.

Thanks