Wildcatllamas

I think I have to agree with the poster that maybe going to the media might resolve this. It is just so ludicrous that people haven't gotten their deposits back and folks are being asked to prove they changed their flights. What if you have no idea where you want to go yet. And if you bought one of those non-refundable, non-change airline tickets than they need to step up to the plate and just refund those tickets.

 

MSC Cruiseline will match your status with other cruiselines. I just did that yesterday. I haven't cruised on them but a travel agent friend absolutely loves them.

You have got to be kidding me. What kind of letter is that. You are one of the few guests inconvenienced by this. Is the man clueless. And Option 1 would have been done by a lot of us if it had really existed.

 

This whole thing is getting more bizarre as time goes on. Now suddenly the Pearl is going out of Seattle to Alaska. Kind of like "oh oops the charter or what ever fell through".

 

That letter just absolutely infuriates me. And I haven't been as impacted as the rest of you. After my temper cools down I may just send an email to him and ask him what he was thinking.

Oh, I am agreeing with you. Of course there should have been plans by NCL to deal with this. It happens from time to time. My response was in regards to buying air and hotel reservations so far in advance, not booking a cruise in advance. They are 2 different things and yes, I feel sorry for the reservation agents. They are stuck trying to deal with upset passengers that sometimes can be very rude.

I knew you were. I had booked my hotel since it had already gone up by $100 from the time I first started checking but that was a quick hit the cancel button. I never opt of those non-refundable rates or booking with an online service that requires full payment. Was so close to booking air the week before because a great deal came up and then poof - right in the middle of selecting flights my PC died. So decided to wait.

Oh, I am agreeing with you. Of course there should have been plans by NCL to deal with this. It happens from time to time. My response was in regards to buying air and hotel reservations so far in advance, not booking a cruise in advance. They are 2 different things and yes, I feel sorry for the reservation agents. They are stuck trying to deal with upset passengers that sometimes can be very rude.

 

I knew you were. I had booked my hotel since it had already gone up by $100 from the time I first started checking but that was a quick hit the cancel button. I never opt of those non-refundable rates or booking with an online service that requires full payment. Was so close to booking air the week before because a great deal came up and then poof - right in the middle of selecting flights my PC died. So decided to wait.

I would love to know why NCL cancelled. I would be as upset as the rest of you. The cancelling maybe can be explained but not having a plan down pat before the cancellation is the part that sucks. :o:rolleyes:

 

I was interested in the 9 night replacement as was the friend traveling with me but then that option never materialized. No information on it - nothing. So I have had to cancel completely. Poor planning on the part of NCL in listing something that doesn't exist as Option 1.

 

 

Since the initial email from NCL there has been no further communication. That is hard for folks to absorb. The call center folks don't have answers and that makes it hard on them because they then have to deal with angry customers.

hi

I am in the same situation and nobody answers the phone. Some of you know if the 9-day cruise depart from vancouver?

 

The 9 day is no longer an option. Corporate alerted their agents of this early AM. Holland America has some 4 and 5 night cruises going out of Vancouver between September 25th and October 17th.

My cruise on the Pearl for 5 days was cancelled they offered us a 9 day but when I called today they are no longer doing it so the only offer they are giving is switching to the Bliss doing a 5 day but only inside or balcony is available. So I can get bumped down to an inside pay more than double what I was paying and I loose all the 5 of the Free at Sea offers I had on the Pearl. Not good .

 

Where will the Pearl be for those missing 9 days? Nobody can tell me. It can just walk off to the other side of the country.

 

I now have a one way flight for 2 that is useless. They will do a change fee but now where am I going to go? I have nothing. I go on a two week trip. I don't want to spend two weeks in LA. My mom doesn't want to do Disney again. I can't go anywhere where there is lots of smoking as I'm allergic.

Holland America has some 4 and 5 night cruises going out of Vancouver from September 25 till October 17. Might be able to change the dates for your flights.

We have a thread over on the Pearl Roll Call. Quite a few of us are impacted by this. One of the folks on this cruise just posted that the 9 day itinerary doesn't exist now according to NCL.

I'm with Linda on the 10/1 Pearl trip. I got the generic email and set on hold for an hour only to be told by three different reps that they had no clue on the 9 day itinerary. I am a travel agent and this was my first heads up of any changes. NO previous emails from NCL that they were looking at making any changes to possible itineraries. Very frustrating for so many folks - including the reps who are obviously in the dark and dealing with frustrated customers and TAs.

When I have taken a tour of several of NCL ships the galley is amazing. They have a section that is not used unless they are cooking gluten free or kosher. Let them know that you need gluten free ahead of time. When I have they have always worked with me in all areas. Even when I didn't they still helped with options that were great. Now I will say the Pride of America had some of the best gluten free dinner rolls that I have ever had.

I checked those and it appears I might be a little early trying to book. Southwest is only booking out until March and Jetblue is booking out until April. Thanks so much! I will keep checking!

According to the Southwest website they will open booking through June 1, 2018 on August 28th. Check a day or so before because sometimes they will push the date up.

 

 

I wasn't able to find anything on JetBlue's site.

I believe the cab from the NCL port to Hotel Monteleon was $8 a person when my sister and I got back from a cruise. I definitely wouldn't try to walk it with luggage.

hello!! has anyone stayed at NCL Sun suite 9202 ? I would like to know if it has a Lavazza coffee/expresso machine. I saw a picture of a suite and it had a regular small coffee maker. One of the perks i have found of being on a suite is the Lavazza machine. thanks in advance for info

I was in cabin 10065 and we had just a small 4 cup coffee maker. That was back in late 2014 so things may have changed. I looked on Cruisedeckplans and 9202 shows the little coffee maker but I don't know when the photo was taken.

You would be one stop away (Hilton Riverside is at the Poydras stop / Julia St is the next stop).

 

The walking distance between the 2 is about 1500 - 1800 feet, or about the length of 5 football fields. Most of the walk is indoors in a shopping mall-like atmosphere if you go via the Riverwalk.

Thanks loanshark. That would be a piece of cake walk. Loved going through the mall last time I was there. I have walked from the Drury Inn to the French Quarter and from there to Harrah's and loved it. But my sister - well - this may be an interesting trip to say the least.:confused:

Question on this. My sister and I are staying at the Hilton Riverside - could we catch the streetcar there down to the Julia port? I was thinking of walking but she said no. Thanks!

Notify the Accessibility Department. My late husband walked with a cane and they had a card waiting in our cabin telling him how to access the elevator to the Versailles dining room. It was extremely easy. Here is the info from the NCL site as to how to contact them.

In order to make your cruise experience as enjoyable as possible and so that we can try to meet your specific needs, call 1-866-584-9756 (voice), fax (305) 468-2171, send an email to accessdesk@ncl.com or have your travel agent contact us.

I'm not sure what gave the OP that no cruises were available on NCL for Alaska beyond May 2018. Back in January I booked the Pacific Coastal Oct 1, 2018 on the Pearl. It's first leg on it's repo from Alaska. Just checked and there are options all through the month of September for Alaska. I can understand on getting excited and maybe paying everything ahead of time so it is all done. But it isn't like NCL said they were keeping the money. And the airfare option isn't bad at all. I just had to reschedule my Southwest air due to having to cancel my cruise to Cuba. There was no change fee and my new destination for my next cruise was cheaper so I now have a credit. Air hasn't been released for September on the major carriers like United, American and Delta. Won't be until about 350 days prior to departure. Southwest and Frontier usually aren't until about 6 - 8 month out.

I just checked the Drury Inn and they have rooms available. Came in at $249 for a king room. Drury is about 8 blocks from the port. Some times it pays to use a booking site to see what is in the area you are going to and then checking on the hotel websites themselves. I am doing the same cruise on the 25th of February and want to stay at the Hilton Riverside. Several sites were showing sold out but their site I was able to get a river view for $305.

I hope the attachment works. The deck with all the windows is 12. If you notice the two that have small openings those are cabins 12010 and 12012. I stayed in 12012 and it is the one on the left.

I am looking at the Creole Queen Jazz dinner cruise on my trip in February. Spending an extra day when I get back. Hope you share how you liked it.

A year ago I stayed there. I called down and asked for a cab at a certain time. When I got down there it was maybe a 1 minute wait.

I would check Uber or a taxi. Parking in the French Quarter is a pain. I have taken a bus tour (they can't get down into the French Quarter), a walking tour, a horse drawn carriage tour and a taxi driver I had one time had grown up in New Orleans and gave my late husband and I one of the best tours. A friend did a walking ghost tour and said it was fun. If you google tours of the French Quarter you will find quite a few listed. I personally prefer Cafe Beignet on Bourbon Street. It has a jazz garden out front and I haven't been there when they didn't have someone performing. I prefer the beignets over DuMonde and you don't have the lines. I know from the airport to the port is $36 for two people. It is a set rate. Not sure about Metairie.

I like staying at the Drury Inn on Poydras. It is about 8 blocks down to Harrah's or the mall on the River. It is 5 blocks to the French Quarter. On the corner is the stop for the bus/trolley. Don't remember what I paid the last time for an all day ticket and went all over the place. They have a happy hour with food. Usually hot dogs, salad, chili, baked potatoes and other small items. I will usually do a salad and baked potato with chili/cheese on it. So that can work for a light dinner. Then in the morning they have a pretty nice breakfast. You shouldn't go hungry.

I think the cost is $20. In which restaurant did you make the payment?

I don't remember the name of the restaurant. It was in the strip mall though. It probably was $20 - each of us paid $10. Memory fades at my age.

Seeking helpful advice on renting/parking a car overnight while at Nawiliwili Harbor in Kauai. Important that we are able to gain access to our car very early (6-7'ish) on Day 2.

When I was in the port, my friends and I rented a car on the first day at the airport. We parked it over night at the Anchor Cove strip mall which is about a 1/2 mile from the port on Rice St. We paid $10 at the restaurant there to park overnight. Next morning it was an easy walk from the ship to there. Saw a lot of folks doing the same thing. There is a shuttle that runs from the mall to and from the ship. So we caught that after parking the car. But it wasn't running as early as we left.

We used the rental car shuttle to go to and from the airport. It was real easy. We rented a car at every port.