mjkacmom

Almost always tip $1 or 2, I’m actually uncomfortable not tipping. However, although it felt weird getting up from the dining table without paying, I loved not having to wait for a check, and rarely tipped (but we have one with a food allergy so tipped the dining manager at the end). We always make sure to have small bills on hand when we will encounter an open bar, like at a wedding, for the bartenders.

With NCL’s free at sea, you are charged about $20 a day pp for gratuities on the package, drinks average around $12.

The free at sea gratuities will be refunded, the cabin steward isn’t refunded any salary, these mainstream cruise lines get a ton of revenue from passenger spending, their goal is to get as many paying souls onboard as possible. They’d rather have passengers with open wallets over the small amount of $ they spend on the food and drink they provide.

No, because passengers not onboard will not buy alcohol, spa services, excursions, specialty dining, use the gift shop, spa passes, or pay port fees/taxes and gratuities. Cruise lines get a lot of revenue with the extras.

NCL makes $0 off of empty cabins, they want passengers onboard. Why in the world would they not have wanted those passengers onboard if possible?

We have sailed on the gem, jewel and breakaway with our kids. They had fun on all, they like to meet others. The 8 and 9 year olds would be in the same group, the 17 year old will meet others to hang with in the teen club.

RIU has an AI day, breakfast and lunch buffet, free drinks, beach chairs/umbrellas. Breezes used to have an AI daypass.

17 year olds go away to college (and I’ve had five 17 year olds and would feel comfortable with them doing this, actually, I’ve had teens head back from the senior frogs area. I think it depends on the kids (mine took public transportation to nyc starting at 14).

I must’ve booked at times when they weren’t linking reservations, ours were never linked.

It’s definitely not clear if the reservation numbers are the same or different, if the same (which means same cabin) they should be on the same flight, if different (not in the same cabin) they might be on different flights.

It’s definitely not the real deal. Atlantis passes were running around $200 pp, but they might’ve gone up. You can’t really see much without a wristband.

As a family of 7, I agree. I don’t mind not being on the same flights, but transportation to and from the airports could get ridiculous (our airports are Newark, LaGuardia and jfk).

I’ve only done Atlantis, fun, both are probably cheaper done independently, both are an inexpensive taxi ride.

Most cruisers aren’t referring to the real swimming pigs of exuma, too far for a cruise excursion, but private islands where excursion vendors have brought over pigs to mimick exuma feral pigs.

But it’s not one reservation, there isn’t a way to link them. It’s actually a pain because you have to log in and out to make show reservations, excursions, etc. I’ve seen families traveling together put on different flights.

Two cabins are two different reservations with different numbers and different log ins, even if it’s one family with connecting cabins.

I’ve read this can be the case. We are a family of 7, so 2 cabins, separate reservation number.

Two different things, with excursions, they charge more than independent vendors, but you don’t have to worry about missing the ship. With the discount airfare, you pay less for your flights, but get what you get, NCL is just passing on savings to the customer. Just like booking flights yourself, it is important to insure your trip for issues such as flight delays.

For $200 pp.

All lines have the same policies, and they offer insurance at booking, which can be declined by the customer. Pre existing clauses exist do passengers can’t get a new diagnosis and then buy an insurance policy, and then cancel. I didn’t buy insurance for our first cruise, I don’t think I realized I’d get nothing back after final payment (or even the financial ramifications of needing medical care overseas). We’ve always purchased it since.

I’m sure all pre-cruise dining spots are booked already, they hold some open to book after boarding, hopefully you are in an early boarding group if you want specialty restaurants reservations. We’ve never made reservations for the MDR’s on any NCL ship.

You didn’t miss anything, we had to book my husband and I separate cabins due to the kids four times.

But didn’t NCL switch from Pepsi to Coke starting in 2023?

NCL requires those under the age of 21 to be booked with an adult (I think 25+?).

We’ve never had this issue, we book 3 kids with 1 of us, 2 kids with the other, I know my husband has taken them all off by himself. Our 19 and 20 year olds had to be booked with us but we’re able to leave the ship alone in the Bahamas.