JillK

Oh boy - I will brace myself for something similar then. I was on the Oasis when it was half full with a group - a weird experience so as I would agree with UKStages, we will be better off should this be the case for our sailing a month later. Still not bookable on NCL so assume it's heading that way! Just starting to run out of options with NCL... really down to Epic or Encore and we will have just done the Epic for the second time so it's Encore or bust!

They did give us 10% off after cancelling the Escape. I did appreciate the gesture, and the savings - especially since the Cdn dollar is performing so poorly it helped to equalize the price difference on the exchange. Honestly I'd rather keep this booking than have another cancellation even with another 10% off but I'll find out one way or another before the end of the year I suppose!

Hey, no problem... maybe not over the week I want to cruise though? 🙂 Well I'll keep you posted. Took about three weeks from when the Escape booking disappeared to official notification of cancellation from NCL but I can't believe we are unlucky enough to book two cruises for the same week and have them both be cancelled! Yikes.

Has anyone got any idea what is happening with the Joy in February 2025? I had booked a cruise with the kiddos for March Break 2025 on the Escape and about three weeks later got a cancellation notification.... so I turned around and booked the Joy for the same week - March 8, 2025 on the Joy. When I was looking at the NCL website just now, I see that my week has disappeared from the site and it looks like it is also not bookable for February either. I know the ship is due to get a massive overhaul in 2024 so could it be taken out of service for a technical overhaul for 5 weeks in March 2025 or is NCL just messing with the deployment/schedule?

Hi there. My husband and I (both late 40's) just disembarked a 14 night cruise aboard the Jade this past Sunday. We really love this size ship and have previously sailed her sister ship the Gem, the Epic, the Getaway, the Escape (x2) and my very first cruise with my brother and parents was in 1992 aboard the Norway. The ship is very easy to learn and get your bearings. We almost always dined in the back of the ship at the Great Outdoors. They have breakfast service there and "tea time" service usually beginning at around 2:30. It was almost always easy to get a table here for breakfast and lunch. We ate at Cagney's, Le Bistro and La Cucina... preferred La Cucina on this ship, whereas Le Bistro or Cagney's is usually the favourite. We found everything to be heavily charred at Cagney's and my husband's steak was not cooked to the temperature that he asked for. There is zero ambiance at Le Bistro - felt more like dining in a nicely appointed cafeteria. The service was exceptional, the food very good but the lights were too bright and you are so close to your neighbour that you are basically at a table for 4 (and they advertise this one as intimate and romantic). We found that chairhogs were out in full force on this cruise. If you weren't up at the crack of dawn to get a lounger, you were out of luck. I believe that some sunchairs were available on the upper decks later in the day but we were looking for spots of shade and only were able to get two chairs the day we were in Grand Cayman (we had just been there last December so elected not to bother tendering to shore). We were in an obstructed oceanview and found the cabin to have more than enough storage for two. The beds were comfortable and the bathroom layout is good with more size than most ships. We were disappointed that there were no seating areas on the promenade deck, which used to be the case on ships of this size in the past. As such, we would often spent time playing cards or reading in the Spinnaker Lounge or the bar area on deck 6. We found the food in the dining room to be very good to excellent but the coffee everywhere to be terrible. We actually elected to without coffee for the majority of the cruise as I do not like Starbucks, nor having to pay for it. On that note, I didn't care for the coffee bar being in the middle of the atrium and missed using that space to get a pre/post dinner drink and listen to live music like we did most nights when we sailed on the Gem. The atrium wasn't very busy most evenings when we went through there -- nothing to draw you in! For the most part, evening shows were moderately to poorly attended so we never worried about getting a seat. The Jade was renovated last year and is in excellent condition - I hope that you have a phenomenal cruise... welcome back to the NCL family!

That is where we found the Jade to be lacking.... there weren't many loungers that offered shade elsewhere on the ship. We had an outside cabin so no balcony sitting for us this trip. We either spent time at the tables in the Great Outdoors or one day just read and played cards in the Spinnaker lounge. We just really did miss the loungers that used to be on the promenade deck on older ships and which we enjoyed last year on both the Getaway and Carnival Panorama as the new, big ships build out more robust offerings on this deck. Didn't stop our enjoyment of the cruise of course, just would have been a popular option I think for a lot of folks who weren't up at 6:00 am to grab something with a splash of shade at the pool deck.

We disembarked on Sunday and also confirm there is not a single chair on that deck - a real shame as this too is one my favourite areas. We don't sunbathe and prefer to have a spot in the shade outdoors to read but this was very difficult, and on sea days impossible, to find. That and the inclusion of the Starbucks cafe in the atrium rather than an atrium bar were the biggest knocks against the design of the ship vs. what we are accustomed to on ships of that age/size. Otherwise, a beautiful ship in excellent condition.

Got it - thanks! My kids are teens so they eat more than I do. I have no problem treating them to a specialty (especially since our tradition is the steakhouse on embarkation day) and have done so in the past when we've been four in a cabin but we weren't sure if we would be able to extend our platinum benefit to our kids (or grandkid, in my mom's situation) or if we would have to pay to have them join us. Appreciate the reply!

That's an important distinction you've made above... always figured it was an individual meal attached to the individual's status. Thanks for the quick reply and clarification!

So glad that someone is asking this question! My mom and I were wondering earlier week if we needed to buy a la carte/or specialty dinners for my kids who are travelling with us next year... So let me tag on and see if someone can confirm... if we have 1 platinum and 1 gold passenger in two separate cabins, would we get 2 dinners for 2 per cabin (so four total meals)? Similarly... if we have two platinum and one gold in one cabin.... would we still need to buy a meal for the gold pax or could they get covered by the platinum reward (again, four total meals)? The way I interpret the wording on NCL's website it sounds like it's 2 meals for 2 so that if there are two platinum guests in one cabin you would actually get 4 meals total but I always prefer to get first hand experience rather than assume.

Sending you good vibes that you get an offer next time NCL extends it to Cdn cards!! I was floored when I saw it pop up on ours. Just assumed we would always be excluded from these offers as I had been reading about folks in US getting them for at least a decade! Kinda like how they constantly bombard me to apply for their branded credit card but then have a small asterisk that says "For US residents only" 😆

After years of reading about US cards being given this offer, hubby and I finally received one in June on our (Canadian) Aeroplan (Air Canada reward program) branded card. We were more than happy to take advantage. We don't have an offer for NCL currently but last week we were given an offer from Oceana so hope we will see another NCL offer in the future.

I think the dynamic pricing combined with the promos have an impact on being able to realize a savings or not. For my 2024 cruise we were able to save almost $1100 when the promo switched from 35% off to 2nd pax free. Meanwhile, for my 2025 cruise, there was no difference in price. 🤷‍♀️

Aw shucks thanks... doesn't even come close to capturing the majesty of the city we were able to take in at the time. A true treat!

This is exactly right. I had actually booked the Escape out of Galveston in March 2025 about 6 weeks ago... about two weeks later it disappeared from their website when my folks were looking to price a cabin to possibly join us and then about a week later we received a notice from NCL that it was being cancelled. Just keep checking the schedule to see what ships end up where! I have done three NCL cruises out of NYC and have mixed feelings... I don't like that you loose the first day or two down and back in winter weather when you can step off the plane in other port cities and be in "vacation" weather before boarding the ship. Conversely I don't mind not incurring the cost and exhaustive airport process of flying. It's still a day on the road for us to reach port (about 7 1/2 hours plus stop time) and we always go a day ahead just as we do when flying so we don't realize hotel/food saving. It really comes down to a preference thing and certainly is a unique cruising experience versus going out of Miami. Nothing quite like cruising down the Hudson. On the Escape in 2018 we docked back in port the night before disembarkation for a medical issue onboard and let me tell you... standing on the deck watching the New York skyline slide by and dazzle in the cold and clear winter night was quite the awesome experience!

Perhaps the OP has had a negative experience in the past leading them to avoid connecting cabins. We had one once on the Oasis of the Seas and to say that noise leaked through was an understatement. When we were in our cabin we could hear every time they closed the bathroom door, every time they flushed the toilet and if they were conversing near the door, every word they said (happy to report they received several strong offers on their home during the week). There were even a few mornings that we were woken up by their alarm! I'm sure they had the pleasure of enjoying noise from our movements too. For that reason, I now ALWAYS avoid the connecting door cabins, unless I am travelling with the people in the other cabin. I'm sure they are not all created equal and some are better soundproofed than what I experienced, but I don't want to take that chance when I have an option to choose a cabin without a connecting door. Agree with what others have posted, since OP booked themselves online, they are free to speak to any other agent who should be able to assist.

Thanks both for your replies. As fate would have it, my PCC called me in the afternoon as the price on the balcony cabin had dropped so she was looking to see if I wanted to upgrade from my inside. I mentioned to her that the FCC had come through so she was able to adjust the price of the quote. We elected to pay a few hundred more to move into a balcony so the 10% off helped us get there. 😉

I was recently issued a 10% coupon that I would like to apply to an existing booking (final payment next April). I booked this cruise through an NCL PCC so have full access to making payments online through myncl. I can see the FCC in my coupons and credits but am not sure how I can apply it to the booking. It says "Click to see your discount" but when I click on it, all I get is a statement and no indication of how much the discount will total (though I can assume by calculating my base fare). The statement reads: "This coupon is considered a credit. In order to secure your booking, please ensure an additional form of payment is selected. This coupon does not cover taxes and fees associated with the booking. This discount is only applicable towards your voyage fare." In order to put in another form of payment, I have to select an amount to charge.... should I ballpark what I think the value of the FCC is and then add some padding that should in theory get charged to my card or at this point should I contact my PCC? I feel like this is something I should be able to handle without her assistance but it certainly isn't as straight-forward as I imagined it would be. Thanks!

I have only ever been on one cruise that I wished I could have left early - and it wasn't NCL. I typically live by the motto of a day at sea is better than a day on land. That being said, I have cruised on many NCL ships with different configurations of my family and many have been a favourite in one way or another..... my very first cruise on the Norway with my family when I was 17 and thought that I would hate the entire experience (joke's on me I suppose!!)... the cruise on the Epic in 2012 when we surprised our daughters with the cruise and it was our first balcony cabin.... the cruise on the Escape in 2016 because it was multi-generational with my four children and my parents which made it precious.... the cruise on the Gem in 2019 because it was just my hubby and I getting a break from those same four kids 😉 and we didn't know what the world had in store for us in 2020... the cruise on the Getaway last year because it was the first one back post-COVID and our last multi-generational cruise. I guess what I am learning here is that the cruises were a phenomenal experience but it was equally, if not more so, important who we were cruising with. They made the memories for the most part... not the ship or itinerary. Whatever you choose, and whomever you choose to do it with - happy cruising!

I don't know about you, but I cruised three times last year on three different lines and saw people wearing some of the above at dinner on "elegant" nights on all brands who were not asked to leave. Even though the lines publish these guidelines, I've not seen them enforced recently. When I first started cruising as a teen with my folks back in the 1990's, this was strictly enforced.... now not so much. I personally do like that I don't have to pack fancy clothes if I don't want to. I think most of us feel that having to haul a dress/suit and shoes for one or two "formal" nights doesn't jive with being on vacation any longer. That being said, I don't show up for dinner in a bathing suit and baseball hat, but that's just me 😉

My family and I have cruised many lines including Carnival, Princess, Celebrity, Royal, NCL and Disney. Our favourite tends to be NCL for a number of reasons but that being said, we were BLOWN AWAY by the Panorama last year and I would not hesitate to book one of their newer ships if I liked the itinerary/price better. NCL does do some things better than Carnival in my opinion.... the shows have always been consistently good on NCL whereas Carnival's productions have been weak in my experience. We love Guy's burgers and the Blue Iguana Cantina but feel that NCL's buffet generally is better than those on Carnival. We had good to excellent meals on both cruise lines in the main dining room last year so feel these are a wash. For us it comes down to the ship and overall feel/experience which I feel that Carnival is matching better with NCL on their newer ships vs older ones (Paradise and Glory come to mind). However, NCL's loyalty program is significantly stronger than Carnival's so all things being equal - I price both and tend to book NCL over Carnival if they are equal. There have been times when Carnival comes out on top price wise and other times when I take all things into account they are close/a wash. In those cases, NCL gets the booking because of the loyalty perks. If you like Carnival's bigger ships and amenities, you will be quite comfortable on NCL - there are far more similarities than differences. Whatever you decide - happy cruising!

Oh gosh - we did have a scary moment right off the bat when we got into the city with a very aggressive individual and to be honest I was wondering what we were getting ourselves into the rest of the way to the hotel... but the rest of the weekend was great. We did tons of walking and took the train everywhere (made it out to Wrigley and Soldier Field too) and had no further negative experiences so while pricey, a good weekend.

I agree that I too experience some sticker shock at some of the cruises that I am pricing, particularly when I'm looking for our partial family (4) or entire family (6). As others have emphasized, as consumers we are experiencing these price increases at literally every turn these days. I do prefer NCL but we do cruise others lines as well so I always do a cost comparison before booking. Even though I thought it was pricey, on a day by day basis, our upcoming cruise on NCL was cheaper than alternatives priced with Celebrity. Cruising overall remains a good value for vacations in my opinion. Hubby and I went to Chicago for the weekend in July. Arrival late afternoon on Thursday and departure mid-morning Sunday. After adding up all our receipts, that trip cost us around $2800 Canadian (approx. $2300 USD) for hotel, meals, entertainment, tours and transportation and this is with us using air miles for the flight and travelling everywhere by foot/train so we wouldn't incur taxi/uber costs. The "cost per day" on that weekend surpassed what we'd typically spend per day on a cruise so it reinforced for us the value we realize in cruising.

Canadian NCL site is showing "Flash Sale" with $250 Cruise First value through the weekend for anyone waiting to purchase the higher value CF.

They are very similar. Both act as a deposit on your cruise without requiring additional money down. Cruise Next are the certificates you buy on board. Sometimes there are "double up" promos so you can use more than one on your booking (ie - you can apply two to an inside cabin whereas usually you can only use one). They are valid for 4 years from purchase date. Cruise First are the certificates you buy on land - you can buy them anytime on the NCL site. The general value is $300 for $150 though throughout the year they do run promos for a value of $500 for $250. They must be used on a cruise of 6+ days in length and can be applied to cruises 120 days from date of purchase. They are valid for 3 years from the purchase date. Both CN and CF's are transferrable if you cannot use them to mitigate the risk of purchasing in case you cannot travel. You can give/sell them to someone who has a latitudes number. I have purchased them for gifting to my parents and the transfer process is easy. Hope that helps!