mtwingcpa

Yes. The last element I removed was a single black horizontal line above the white space. See if you can find that or another element.

Likewise, I've been able to get rid of that black line. But the right column itself still remains, now "all white," as a giant waste of space.

I'll tinker with it further to see if I can get the right column to disappear...

If you are single/solo you won't regret the Epic.

In my view, this all depends on what you're looking for.

I'm both single and solo, and have sailed many times on NCL's older ships. But nothing about the Epic or the studio cabins appeals to me. Just sayin'. :-)

I returned to the old view by using Adblock with Adblock's Element Hiding Helper. Adblock blocked all the ads, I never saw one, but there was a small cruise fare search box to the hand of thread lists or forum posts that left a lot of white space (where the ads would have been) beneath. The element hider needed a few clicks to eliminate the elements involved in the offending search box. I am using Firefox on a MacBook.

Using AdBlock on Chrome I've also been able to get rid of that "check cruise fares" box (as well as all of the ads). But I can't seem to recover the right column, which is now just a big wasted/empty space.

Have you been able to recover the right column so that the screen looks exactly as it did before they messed with it?

Sorry, I should have been more clear when stating "within area" by meaning within confines of the airport area in which we'll be. Absolutely will not go off sight or outside of security checkpoint. I see Anthony's within Central Terminal. Would that require going back through security check point? Yes, I see Delta located at S gates. TIA

Anthony's is probably your best restaurant bet. Yes, it's INSIDE the security envelope, so unless something has changed recently or temporarily, you should be able to get back and forth from your gate(s) without having to reenter security.

should the government force the cruise lines to post cruise fares the same as they are making airlines? This is with all the mandatory fees shown as the cost of the trip.

In my opinion, yes.

I also believe cruise lines should state the minimum price per cabin (as most hotels do) rather than a PPDO price. For example, they should say "$1,200 for one passenger, $1,500 for two" but not "$750 PPDO."

I've given a lot of thought to this. I'm not worried about being "bored," but do worry that being away from home and semi out of touch for such a long period of time might just not be right for me. Maybe I should start with a "grand voyage" of 7 - 8 weeks and see how that goes???

I remember seeing an interesting comment here by a world cruiser a couple of years ago. He noted that about once a week he would decide he'd "had it" and would start planning to fly home at the next port. But then something marvelous would happen...like an interesting port stop, or something occurring at sea...and he was "hooked in" again for another week!

I can easily imagine a world cruise unfolding in that manner. :-)

Here's another question for all you seasoned solos? How do you handle the 'looks' from people when you're standing in that long, long, long line to check in? Or even worse if they ask you why you are all by yourself? The cruise itself wouldn't bother me at all but I have to admit, the standing in line by myself sort of intimidates me. :(

I guess the only unpleasant questions or inquiries I recall came from customs or immigration agents - NOT other passengers.

And regarding standing in line, since most people stand 2 x 2, I've occasionally been "lapped" by a couple behind me (unconsciously, I presume) because as a solo passenger I couldn't fill/block the entire space around me.

Your cruise line probably has a recommendation on this depending on the port in question. But the most common time I've seen is usually 1:00 PM.

Sometimes I've stayed overnight when there just wasn't any other way to schedule a convenient flight, but I'd say that extra night wasn't particularly fun. I've also had to kill time until an evening flight (say, 6:00 PM) but that wasn't fun either. :-(

I would recommend Celebrity over Princess only if you are an anti-smoking fanatic.

I thought the smoking policies on the two lines are now essentially identical. In what way do you see an advantage (from a non-smoker's perspective) on Celebrity?

Just like any tipped worker in the US, if the employee makes the equivalent of minimum wage through base wage and tips, the employer needs do nothing more.

That's true in many states, but not all. A handful of states in the west, including the very large California, do not recognize the tip credit, and in such states (including my own) employees must receive the FULL minimum wage paid by the employer PLUS any tips received by or credited to them.

It appears that Hawaii, to the extent that its laws would be applicable the POA, allows only a very small tip credit (subject to some weird accounting rules) and that's what begs my question. So if Hawaii law applies, I would expect the employees to receive very close to the full minimum wage PLUS a share of the DSC.

Some wage issues were resolved in a lawsuit that restored some DSC payments and overtime benefits to the crew, but the pay is still minimum wage.

I was wondering if you could elaborate on the DSC issue. Do POA employees receive minimum wage PLUS a share of the DSC? Or in this a case where the DSC is deemed to be the property of the employER, and the employer can do whatever they please with it (in essence, a giant "tip credit")? Or is the situation even yet more complicated than that??? :-)

I'm guessing that the DSC on the POA is handled differently than on NCL's international fleet???

Thanks.

As to the food… well, it is well documented that NCL has horrible food...

Huh?

Needed to ask a question about our OBC. Just spent over one hour on hold and then was disconnected. You have got to be kidding!!!! Tried to find an email address so that I could contact them but all that I could find was the same phone number that I had just called. Is there any other way to contact NCL?

Do you have a PCC (personal cruise consultant) at NCL? You have probably been assigned to one whether you know it or not...ask the next time you are able to actually get through to them on the phone and/or look at your eDocs to see if a name is listed.

Anyway, I call my PCC's direct extension and leave her a message (although sometimes I get her "live"). She gets back to me usually within an hour or two. And/or I can send her an email (to her personal account @ NCL.com) with the same result.

Buy the way, I am NOT a "suite" passenger. The above mentioned services are available to everyone.

We leave the water on. This is subject to debate and I have asked several plumbers and get all sorts of answers.

Yeah, this is a judgement call. If you have someone regularly checking your place, I would leave the water on for the reasons you mentioned. But if your place will go unchecked for an extended period, I would turn the water off as the the lessor of the evils.

A few years back a neighbor headed south for the winter. They thought they had turned the water off, but actually they had forgotten. There was a serious freeze that winter and a pipe cracked with a slow leak. By the time they returned, the entire carpeted floor had been flooded and mold had bloomed. The house was declared unsafe (due to mold) and had to be torn down.

The idea never occurred to me. I don't expect or want any treatment different than anyone else on the ship, whether part of a couple or a family group.

I totally agree. The fact that I am a solo is my business and nobody elses! :-)

Back to the question at hand, I once ran into the cruise director in the buffet line. Had a two-sentence conversation with him (he was a character!) but that didn't alter my life for better or worse in any way.

Ok, so near my cruise when price drops in order for me to actually be able to upgrade balconies would have to be about $500 PP/$1000 Total. Correct? Since I am paying $979 for my studio right now.

For example if the balcony was $1100 TOTAL (Double occupancy) and if I wanted to upgrade I would have to pay approximately $120...Give or take some dollars. Am I correct now mtwingcpa???

Yep, I think you've got it. :-)

If I understand this correctly, you have booked a studio cabin which is priced with single occupancy rates, but are keeping an eye on other cabins that are priced with double occupancy rates. So the new rate you would be looking at would be the FULL price in effect at the time for the upgrade cabin. That will most likely be the PPDO rate x 2.

The fact that you started out by booking a studio cabin does not give you a 50% discount (in effect) on any upgrade you consider.

Ask your room steward and he might be able to provide one for you. I did that a couple of years ago when cruising in an OV (which, like an inside, normally doesn't have one).

Oh, if it ends up that we can't go see the usual tourist sights, is there anything to do around the pier?

I assume your pier is in San Pedro? There is a fair amount to do in that area IF you are into WWII history. There is a battleship and a "victory" ship. Also a merchant marine museum. All of this is within walking distance.

Unless your ship is staying OVERNIGHT, I doubt you would have time to do much in the way of a tour or excursion away from the pier area. San Pedro is a fair distance from the more touristy areas around Los Angeles, and as others note, you probably wouldn't have time to see more than one or two very specific things.

So far the Pearl is my favorite ship. Love the buffet and the Great Outdoors. I wouldn't want to cruise on anything larger.

In fact, I'd like to try HAL's smaller "R" and "S" class ships (if I've got that right) but their smoking policy drives me away (as does NCL's at this point). :-(

Spend a week? Either Catalina or Unalaska.

I think the reason some of them might want solo travelers is that some solo travelers are willing to pay more, and willing to take tiny, inside cabins that the cruise line created from "wasted" space, thereby giving them more revenue ;)

I "second" your comments! :-)

Just FYI, I normally cruise on NCL and never have a problem getting a table by myself (which is my preference).

All of my experiences in the specialty restaurants are as a solo, and I never recall being asked to share a table (and that's OK with me, as I would have declined).

And in the MDRs, I only recall being asked 2 or 3 times in over 50 nights onboard (I declined).

My take on this is that with NCL, if you don't want to dine alone, you need to round up your own company before arriving at the restaurant. Meanwhile, if you DO want to dine alone, NCL will allow you to do so without hassle.

In tiny Skagway, Alaska: 4 major cruise ships (2 Royal Caribbean, 1 Princess, 1 Silversea), the Columbia (Alaska Ferry) and a smaller local cruise boat. I guessed at least 10,000 passengers total. :eek: